Belarus

Belarusian opposition activist Kovalkova seeks refuge in Poland

Belarusian opposition activist Olga Kovalkova arrived in the Polish capital Warsaw on Saturday, saying she had been forced by authorities in her homeland to leave the country. Kovalkova, a senior…

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European bishops demand Belarus allow return of Catholic leader

Roman Catholic bishops urged Belarus’s leader Alexander Lukashenko to let its most senior cleric come back into the country. Minsk’s archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz (photo), who has angered Lukashenko by defending…

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Russian PM to visit Belarus on Thursday amid preparations for joint military drills

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit Belarus for talks on Thursday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, as Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko faces the biggest political crisis of his 26…

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Sanctions on Belarus and Lukashenko on the global agenda

Canada, the United States, the European Union and Britain are discussing possible sanctions against Belarus over its crackdown against protests following a disputed election, a Canadian source directly familiar with…

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Lukashenko considers re-routing Belarusian cargo because of sanctions

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that he was ready to re-route Belarusian cargo from Baltic ports to Russian ports in response to sanctions imposed by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the…

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New protests in Belarus

Thousands of students boycotted the start of the school year in Belarus on Tuesday and signs of a possible rift appeared in an opposition alliance that has led weeks of…

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Baltic states impose sanctions on Lukashenko and other Belarus officials

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia imposed travel bans on President Alexander Lukashenko and 29 other Belarusian officials on Monday, signalling impatience with the West’s cautious approach by announcing sanctions without waiting…

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Russia must respect sovereignty of Belarus, says White House

Russia must respect the sovereignty of Belarus and the right of its people to elect their own leaders, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said yesterday afternoon. McEnany also told reporters…

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Photo Story : Power to the people

Belarus woman speaks with policemen during a protest rally against the results of the presidential elections, in Minsk, Belarus, 30 August 2020. Opposition protests in Belarus continue against alleges poll-rigging…

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‘Happy Birthday, you rat’ – Protesters chant in Belarus

Belarusians chanting “Happy Birthday, you rat” and flying red-and-white opposition flags gathered near President Alexander Lukashenko’s residence on Sunday as protesters kept up pressure on the veteran leader to resign,…

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Putin and Lukashenko to meet in Moscow – Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko have agreed to meet in Moscow in coming weeks, the Kremlin said on Sunday. The two leaders have not met since…

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Belarus detains around 20 journalists preparing to cover protests

Belarusian police detained around 20 journalists preparing to cover a protest in central Minsk on Thursday and confiscated their telephones and identity documents, a Reuters witness said. The Interior Ministry…

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Tech firms threaten to quit Belarus after crackdown, internet outages

For Belarus's thriving tech industry, it didn't matter much that the country's president referred to the internet as "garbage" and state factories as the engine of economic success. Until now.…

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NATO chief says Lukashenko must respect fundamental rights

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday to respect fundamental rights and said it would be unjustified to use the defence alliance as an excuse…

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Belarus jails two opposition members

Belarus jailed two opposition leaders for 10 days on Tuesday as the government pursued a crackdown on the few figures still at large, while schoolteachers led a new protest of…

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Belarus opposition figures in court after night in jail

Two leaders of the opposition in Belarus appeared in court on Tuesday after a night in jail, as the government pursues a crackdown on the few figures still at large, with more…

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Tsikhanouskaya hopes dialogue with Belarusian authorities will start soon

Belarusian opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has led the biggest challenge to Alexander Lukashenko’s 26-year rule, hopes a dialogue with the authorities will start soon, she told Polish Gazeta…

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Lithuanians stand in vast chain of support for Belarus opposition

Lithuanians stood in a 35,000-strong human chain stretching 34 km (21 miles) from central Vilnius to the Belarus border on Sunday to show support for protesters in Belarus and opposition…

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Lukashenko orders army to defend Belarus’ borders

Claims by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that "foreign powers" are organising a build-up of troops on the country's border are baseless, says NATO. Dressed in military fatigues, the president said…

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Belarus opposition leader to meet US Deputy Secretary of State

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will meet U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in Lithuania on Monday as part of efforts to defuse the crisis over disputed elections, her…

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Belarusians will never accept Lukashenko – Tsikhanouskaya

Belarusians "will never accept" President Alexander Lukashenko's leadership, exiled opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Friday during a press conference in Lithuania, DW reports. "It should be clear to the…

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Calls for more strikes in Belarus to force new elections

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Friday called on her supporters to step up their strikes at factories across the country to try to force new presidential elections. "I ask…

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Lukashenko steps up efforts to reassert control, EU announces sanctions

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has stepped up efforts to reassert his control after 10 days of street protests and strikes triggered by disputed elections. The official result gave him 80%…

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Kremlin says it sees no need to help Belarus militarily

The Kremlin said on Wednesday there was no need for Russia to help Belarus militarily or otherwise amid the unrest over its contested Aug. 9 presidential election and that Belarus…

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Belarusian opposition leader asks EU not to recognise election result

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya appealed to European Union leaders on Wednesday not to recognise what she said were fraudulent presidential elections, urging the bloc to respect the choice of…

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Lukashenko decries ‘attempt to seize power’

The nascent political opposition in Belarus set up a council inside the country, a move President Alexander Lukashenko denounced as an attempt to seize power 10 days after an election…

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Belarus President hints at new wave of repression

Belarusian president has hinted at a new wave of repression, in another sign he is seeking to outlast a protest movement that has brought him face-to-face with former supporters calling…

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Lukashenko says he is ready to share power in Belarus

Facing growing protests that have posed the biggest challenge to his 26 years in power, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday he was ready to share power in Belarus, although…

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Belarusian opposition politician Tsikhanouskaya says she is ready to lead nation

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Monday she was ready to lead Belarus and called for the creation of a legal mechanism to ensure that a new fair presidential…

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EU must support peaceful Belarus protesters, France’s Macron says

The European Union should support demonstrations in Belarus following the country's presidential election, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday. "The European Union must continue to be mobilised in support of the…

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Hundreds gather in Prague, Warsaw to support Belarus protesters

Crowds gathered in Prague and Warsaw on Sunday to show their support for protesters in Belarus who are demanding President Alexander Lukashenko step down after what they say was his…

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Protestors in Belarus call for help for a ‘motherland in danger’

Belarusians chanting “Step down!” filled the centre of the capital Minsk on Sunday in the biggest protest so far against what they said was the fraudulent re-election a week ago…

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Belarusian leader appeals to Russia as pressure to quit grows

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday issued an appeal to long-term ally Russia as he faced growing pressure to step down following a disputed election that has triggered protests at…

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Protests swell in Belarus, Lukashenko blames foreigners

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko told people to stay at home to avoid becoming "cannon fodder" for what he said were foreign-backed revolutionaries after huge crowds took to the streets for…

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EU to impose new sanctions on Belarus

Germany's foreign minister said on Friday the European Union will impose new sanctions on Belarusian officials responsible for cracking down on protests triggered by a disputed election last Sunday. President…

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Poland braces for influx from Belarus after crackdown

Poland is bracing for an influx of people from neighbouring Belarus after a violent crackdown on post-election protests there but wants to maintain border security, deputy foreign minister Marcin Przydacz…

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Belarusian opposition leader calls for new protests and vote recount

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Friday called for more peaceful protests and urged supporters to sign an online petition demanding a recount of a presidential election, in which she…

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Czech PM joins call for Belarusian elections rerun

The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called for the presidential election in Belarus to be rerun with independent monitoring, ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, POLITICO reports. Protests…

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Second protester dies in Belarus as UN sounds alarm

A protester has died in Belarus in police custody, the second death since clashes with police erupted on Sunday over a disputed presidential election. Officials say the cause of death…

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New clashes in Belarus

There were new clashes Tuesday night in Belarus after the Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said she had fled abroad for the sake of her children after strongman leader Alexander…

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EU declares Belarus elections “neither free nor fair”

In a strongly-worded statement, the European Union, through its High Representative, has condemned developments in Belarus, saying that the people of Belarus had clearly demonstrated the desire for democratic change. However,…

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Belarus Opposition leader flees to Lithuania as clashes continue following contested election

Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya has joined her children in neighbouring Lithuania, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, after two nights of clashes following the contested re-election of President Alexander…

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Opposition in Belarus refuses to recognise official election win by Lukashenko

Belarusian opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Monday she refused to recognise official results that showed incumbent Alexander Lukashenko had won a landslide re-election victory. Preliminary official results earlier on…

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Belarusian election commission says Lukashenko was re-elected by a landslide

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko won re-election with 80% of the vote at the country's presidential election, the Central Election Commission cited preliminary results as saying on Monday. Svetlana Tikhanouskaya, a…

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Clashes in Belarus after poll predicts Lukashenko victory

Police in Belarus fired water cannons, tear gas and stun grenades in a crackdown on protests that erupted on Sunday as President Alexander Lukashenko was set to claim another election…

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Exit poll shows Lukashenko is set to win Belarus presidential election with 80% support

A preliminary exit poll has given Belarus' longtime leader Lukashenko nearly 80 per cent of the vote, according to Russian media reports. Main opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, meanwhile, received 6.8…

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Belarus holds election as street protests rattle strongman president

Belarus votes in an election on Sunday pitting President Alexander Lukashenko against a former teacher who emerged from obscurity to lead the biggest challenge in years against the man once…

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Germany, France and Poland urge for free and fair election in Belarus

Germany, France and Poland are observing developments in Belarus with "great concern" ahead of the presidential vote this weekend, they said in a joint statement on Friday, urging authorities to…

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Voting Begins in Stormy Belarus Presidential Vote

Early voting began in Belarus today ahead of a presidential election in which strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko will seek a sixth term after ensuring that his main rivals were barred…

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Belarus, Ukraine beef up border controls after detention of alleged Russian mercenaries

Belarus and Ukraine have agreed to beef up their border controls and expand border cooperation after Belarus detained more than 30 alleged Russian mercenaries near Minsk ahead of Belarus' presidential…

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Belarus suspects Russian mercenaries preparing acts of terrorism

Belarus said on Thursday it suspected a group of alleged Russian mercenaries it detained the previous day of plotting "acts of terrorism" ahead of a presidential election in August and…

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Photo Story: Independence Day celebrations in Minsk

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (C) attends celebrations marking Independence Day or Day of the Republic in Minsk, Belarus, 03 July 2020. The Independence Day in Belarus is celebrated on the…

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Belarus opposition protests end in arrests

Police in Belarus arrested demonstrators and journalists on Friday evening to break up new protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, hours after he blamed foreign plotters for fomenting unrest. For the…

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Protests rattle Belarus President Lukashenko before election

In the Belarusian capital Minsk, a long queue formed outside a covered food market on Sunday as people waited for hours to give their signature to opposition candidates contesting a…

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Busy bee as life blossoms in Belarus

A bee flies over a flower of spring blooming tree at the Central Botanical Garden in Minsk, Belarus, 15 May 2020. The temperature in Minsk is 16 degrees Celsius, local…

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Belarus presidential elections to be held on August 9

The Belarusian parliament said on Friday presidential elections would be held on Aug. 9, the news agency Belta reported, with the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since…

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Belarus president in denial over coronavirus pandemic

Few measures have been enforced to curb coronavirus in Belarus - instead, people are being urged to drink vodka and go to saunas. The country - specifically its president -…

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