Featured stories about Belarus
Stories about Belarus
An impossible task: Serbia on the European path, hand in hand with Russia and China
Serbia keeps touting the country’s progress in aligning itself with EU foreign policy, but real gains won’t happen with Kosovo on the agenda.
Between two borders: you can’t get through
By offering its territory as a transit zone, Belarus created a problem for the EU and a financial opportunity for itself, charging refugees for Belarusian visas.
In Belarus, subscribing to Telegram channels branded as ‘extremist’ may now get users in trouble
While it's not clear whether the Belarusian police will actually be able to dispense prison terms, "nobody can be sure" they won't be criminally charged for subscribing to Telegram channels.
Ukraine’s trans-border transplant quandary
Going abroad for organ transplants is common in Ukraine, but the logistics are tricky. But a new law and enthusiastic regional doctors could make a national transplant system a reality.
Belarusian authorities rule to liquidate domestic violence shelter
The liquidation of Radislava is part of an ongoing crackdown on NGOs, independent media, and activists in Belarus that intensified this summer following a year of protests against fraudulent elections.
‘If you thirst for freedom, seize it!’: The songs of the Belarusian uprising
The songs of protest that have become some the most vital symbols of the 2020 Belarusian revolution are varied in their origins and surprising in their complexity.
Georgian-Belarusian security cooperation deal worries political emigres in Georgia
A year after disputed presidential elections in Belarus, a Georgian-Belarusian security cooperation agreement has come into force. Critics fear the treaty could help Minsk target political dissidents residing in Georgia.
Belarus court labels independent media outlets Tut.by, Zerkalo.io as ‘extremist’
The ruling applies to every single piece of content on the Tut.by and Zerkalo.io websites, as well as to all content posted on their social media channels.
Missing Belarusian activist found dead in Ukraine
Shyshou, who left Belarus in the autumn of 2020 fearing state persecution, founded the Belarusian House in Ukraine, an organisation supporting Belarusian citizens fleeing regime persecution.
Belarusian sprinter sent home from Olympics by Belarusian officials says she will ask for asylum
24-year-old Krystsina Tsimanouskaya said she was not worried about being kicked off the national team, but was afraid she would be imprisoned once she arrived in Belarus.
State escalates attacks on media freedom and civil society in Belarus
Since the start of July, dozens of civil society organisations and independent media outlets in Belarus have faced law enforcement raids, searches and staff detentions.
Top Belarusian media website removes social media posts to protect employees
Tut.by editors removed virtually all of the content published on most of their social media channels in 2020 and the first half of 2021, at the height of the post-election...
Belarus bans foreign travel for citizens, EU closes airspace to Belarusian flights
Most Belarusians, including many foreign residency permit holders, have been temporarily banned from going abroad, while new EU air space restrictions further narrow travel options to and from Belarus.
Belarus grounds Ryanair flight, detains independent journalist amid regime's crackdown on media
Pratasevich was formerly an administrator of NEXTA-Live, the Telegram channel covering the anti-government protests in Belarus. He is currently editor-in-chief of Belarus Golovnogo Mozga, another independent media outlet.
Ukraine, Belarus commemorate 35th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster
For the world, Chornobyl symbolises the fragility of our environment and the threat posed by human activity. But for many in Ukraine and Belarus, it remains a personal tragedy.
Israeli phone hacking firm stops sales to Belarus and Russia
Cellebrite, an Israeli software company known for making tools used to extract data from smartphones, has announced it will halt sales to Russian and Belarus state bodies and law enforcement.
Belarus banned from 2021 Eurovision contest for controversial song lyrics
The European Broadcasting Union found Belarus to be "in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute."
‘Pandemic Big Brother': Highlighting impact of COVID-19 restrictions on digital freedoms in Eastern Europe
Digital rights activists fear that digital surveillance has become so normalized during the pandemic that it may be hard to roll these measures back once it's over.
Bloggers, journalists and creatives in the crosshairs of the Belarusian state
As the space for free expression in Belarus narrows, many journalists and artists who covered the protests are awaiting trial.
In Belarus, Lukashenka's rule endures 2020 — can it survive 2021?
Belarus faces a stalemate: protesters cannot take power by force, the authorities cannot disperse them by force. But in the long term, Alyaksandr Lukashenka's rule looks precarious.
