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Belarus
In her statement<\/strong><\/a>, Marin reported that more than 1,500 people were still being detained for political reasons, with a daily average of 17 arbitrary arrests since 2020.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1643523870408822785\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"I have good reason to believe that conditions of detention are deliberately made harsher for those convicted on political grounds, by placing them in disciplinary cells for minor breaches of prison rules\", she said.<\/p>\n<p>Human rights defenders face constant persecution, she added, and more than 1,600 \"undesirable organisations have been forcibly dissolved, including all remaining independent trade unions\".<\/p>\n<p>\"This illustrates a deliberate policy by the state to purge civic space of its last dissident elements\", she continued.<\/p>\n<p>Marin also claimed that the independent media had been branded \"extremist organisations\", while academic freedom was being \"systematically attacked\".<\/p>\n<p>\"Ideological control and disciplinary measures restrict freedom of opinion and expression\", she denounced.<\/p>\n<p>Primary and secondary education are also subject to \"ideological control\", with children \"discouraged from expressing their own opinions\" and subjected to \"threats and consequences\" for dissenting views.<\/p>\n<p>Belarus was immediately offered the floor at the Human Rights Council to respond, but no representative was present.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1688541825,"publishedAt":1688543216,"updatedAt":1688544150,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/07\/05\/belarus-condemned-for-catastrophic-human-rights-situation","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/21\/61\/16\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_11e48ee0-6a97-5f04-bff1-191752661c3e-6216116.jpg","altText":"Members of the Volny Chor attend a demonstration against the Belarus government at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. ","caption":"Members of the Volny Chor attend a demonstration against the Belarus government at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. ","captionCredit":"Markus Schreiber\/Copyright 2021 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/72\/89\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_325b3a95-fb3a-5a93-a341-7fb74a646daa-7728942.jpg","altText":"Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.","caption":"Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.","captionCredit":"AP Photo","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":8133,"height":4573}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":142,"slug":"human-rights","urlSafeValue":"human-rights","title":"Human Rights","titleRaw":"Human Rights"},{"id":5020,"slug":"dictatorship","urlSafeValue":"dictatorship","title":"Dictatorship","titleRaw":"Dictatorship"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2281342},{"id":2299080},{"id":2309916}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gt_negative','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_politics','neg_facebook','gb_crime_edu','sm_politics','neg_facebook_2021','gt_negative_fear','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','gs_law','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gs_society_misc','gs_society','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gt_negative_sadness','gs_science_geography','gs_politics_elections'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/07\/05\/belarus-condemned-for-catastrophic-human-rights-situation","lastModified":1688544150},{"id":2307506,"cid":7709094,"versionId":4,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230626_NWSU_52202188","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Wagner leader Prigozhin breaks his silence, issuing first audio statement since mutiny","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Prigozhin breaks his silence: March on Moscow was protest, not coup","titleListing2":"Wagner leader Prigozhin breaks his silence, issuing first audio statement since mutiny","leadin":"Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russian mercenary Wagner Group has broken his silence, releasing an 11-minute audio message, where he claims that he initiated Saturday's ''march of justice\" to Moscow as a protest and \"not to overthrow the country's government.\"","summary":"Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russian mercenary Wagner Group has broken his silence, releasing an 11-minute audio message, where he claims that he initiated Saturday's ''march of justice\" to Moscow as a protest and \"not to overthrow the country's government.\"","url":"wagner-leader-prigozhin-breaks-his-silence-issuing-first-audio-statement-since-mutiny","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday released the first audio statement since an aborted armed rebellion he staged on Saturday, defending the move as a reaction to an attack on his force that killed some of his 30 fighters. \n\n\u201cWe started our march because of an injustice,\u201d Prigozhin said in an 11-minute audio.\u00a0\"Civilians came out to meet us with Russian flags and Wagner emblems, they were happy when we arrived and walked past them.\"\u00a0 \n\n\u201cOn the way, we did not kill a single soldier on the ground. In a day, we were only 200 kilometres away from Moscow.\u00a0 \n\n\"We entered and completely took control of the city of Rostov. The civilians were glad to see us. We showed a master class on how February 24, 2022, should have looked like. We did not have the goal of overthrowing the existing regime and the legally elected government, which was said many times. We turned around to not shed Russian soldiers' blood.\u201d \n\n\nBelarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who acted as mediator between the Kremlin and Wagner on Saturday, had proposed solutions to allow the paramilitary group to continue operating, he claimed. \n\n\"Mr Lukashenko reached out and offered to find solutions to enable the Wagner group to continue its work in a legal manner\", said Prigozhin, according to whom the real aim of the armed rebellion was to save Wagner, which in his view was threatened with being dismantled by the authorities. \n\nHe didn\u2019t offer any details as to where he was or what his future plans are. \n\n\nWagner troops have played a crucial role in the Ukraine war, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions. \n\n\nThe feud that has festered throughout the war erupted into a mutiny that saw the mercenaries leave Ukraine to seize a military headquarters in a southern Russian city and roll seemingly unopposed for hundreds of miles toward Moscow, before turning around after less than 24 hours on Saturday. \n\nThe Kremlin said it had made a deal that Prigozhin will move to Belarus and receive an amnesty, along with his soldiers. There was no confirmation of his whereabouts Monday, although a popular Russian news channel on Telegram reported he was seen at a hotel in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday released the first audio statement since an aborted armed rebellion he staged on Saturday, defending the move as a reaction to an attack on his force that killed some of his 30 fighters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe started our march because of an injustice,\u201d Prigozhin said in an 11-minute audio.\u00a0\"Civilians came out to meet us with Russian flags and Wagner emblems, they were happy when we arrived and walked past them.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the way, we did not kill a single soldier on the ground. In a day, we were only 200 kilometres away from Moscow.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"We entered and completely took control of the city of Rostov. The civilians were glad to see us. We showed a master class on how February 24, 2022, should have looked like. We did not have the goal of overthrowing the existing regime and the legally elected government, which was said many times. We turned around to not shed Russian soldiers' blood.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who acted as mediator between the Kremlin and Wagner on Saturday, had proposed solutions to allow the paramilitary group to continue operating, he claimed.<\/p>\n<p>\"Mr Lukashenko reached out and offered to find solutions to enable the Wagner group to continue its work in a legal manner\", said Prigozhin, according to whom the real aim of the armed rebellion was to save Wagner, which in his view was threatened with being dismantled by the authorities.<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t offer any details as to where he was or what his future plans are. <\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7706820,7707014\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//26//ukraine-war-counteroffensive-grinds-on-in-the-aftermath-of-wagner-attempted-coup/">Ukraine war: Counteroffensive grinds on in the aftermath of Wagner attempted coup<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//26//belarus-neighbours-tighten-security-amid-lukashenko-prigozhin-deal/">Belarus' neighbours tighten security amid Lukashenko-Prigozhin deal<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Wagner troops have played a crucial role in the Ukraine war, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions. <\/p>\n<p>The feud that has festered throughout the war erupted into a mutiny that saw the mercenaries leave Ukraine to seize a military headquarters in a southern Russian city and roll seemingly unopposed for hundreds of miles toward Moscow, before turning around after less than 24 hours on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>The Kremlin said it had made a deal that Prigozhin will move to Belarus and receive an amnesty, along with his soldiers. There was no confirmation of his whereabouts Monday, although a popular Russian news channel on Telegram reported he was seen at a hotel in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1687791846,"publishedAt":1687792835,"updatedAt":1687817165,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/06\/26\/wagner-leader-prigozhin-breaks-his-silence-issuing-first-audio-statement-since-mutiny","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/70\/78\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_01858b15-3b20-5a7c-a90d-7b2d4ce38b7c-7707860.jpg","altText":"Yevgeny Prigozhin records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023.","caption":"Yevgeny Prigozhin records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023.","captionCredit":"AP\/PRIGOZHIN PRESS SERVICE","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":576},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/98\/26\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_74af5d45-e067-5441-9ca4-deefd3972d72-7519826.jpg","altText":"Yevgeny Prigozhin records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023.","caption":"Yevgeny Prigozhin records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023.","captionCredit":"AP\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":27658,"slug":"yevgeny-prigozhin","urlSafeValue":"yevgeny-prigozhin","title":"Yevgeny Prigozhin","titleRaw":"Yevgeny Prigozhin"},{"id":8263,"slug":"vladimir-putin","urlSafeValue":"vladimir-putin","title":"Vladimir Putin","titleRaw":"Vladimir Putin"},{"id":27848,"slug":"ukraine-russia-war","urlSafeValue":"ukraine-russia-war","title":"Russia's war in Ukraine","titleRaw":"Russia's war in Ukraine"},{"id":13546,"slug":"russian-army","urlSafeValue":"russian-army","title":"russian army","titleRaw":"russian army"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":80000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":10232660,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/26\/en\/230626_NWSU_52202188_52205460_80000_215530_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":80000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":15341908,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/26\/en\/230626_NWSU_52202188_52205460_80000_215530_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8m2cf5","youtubeId":"wUeGACg_YxU"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Agencies ","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":{"id":1982,"urlSafeValue":"minsk","title":"Minsk"},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_science','gs_news','gs_news_and_weather','gt_mixed','gs_tech'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"path":"\/2023\/06\/26\/wagner-leader-prigozhin-breaks-his-silence-issuing-first-audio-statement-since-mutiny","lastModified":1687817165},{"id":2306810,"cid":7706820,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230626_NWSU_52190833","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Belarus' neighbours tighten security amid Lukashenko-Prigozhin deal","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarus' neighbours tighten security amid Lukashenko-Prigozhin deal","titleListing2":"Belarus' neighbours tighten security amid Lukashenko-Prigozhin deal","leadin":"Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have agreed to coordinate and enhance border measures at the crossings with Russia and Belarus.","summary":"Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have agreed to coordinate and enhance border measures at the crossings with Russia and Belarus.","url":"belarus-neighbours-tighten-security-amid-lukashenko-prigozhin-deal","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Neighbours of Belarus are reviewing their border security following the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's reported deal to be exiled there following the apparent \"mutiny\" by his mercenaries in Russia.\u00a0 \n\nIn Poland, both the Prime Minister and Defence minster inspected troops in the country's north east on Monday. \n\n\"We have strengthened the borders - the border with Belarus and the K\u00f6nigsberg region,\" said Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. \"We are aware of these threats and we are responding by anticipating attacks. After all, we have been dealing with a hybrid attack on the Polish border for two years.\" \n\nLithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda said on Sunday that NATO would have to \"reinforce\" its eastern flank if Belarus were to harbour Yevgeny Prigozhin and his troops.\u00a0 \n\nFinland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the situation remains uncertain:\u00a0 \"The situation is delicate and anything can happen. We continue to monitor the situation very closely.\" \n\nMeanwhile coordinated and enhanced border crossing control measures have been introduced by Finalnd, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia with Russia and Belarus. \n\nGerman Defence Minsiter Boris Pistorius announced plans to send around 4,000 additional Bundeswehr\u00a0permanently to Lithuania to strengthen Nato's eastern flank.\u00a0 \n\n\"Germany is prepared to permanently station a robust brigade in Lithuania.brigade in Lithuania on a permanent basis,\" he said Pistorius during a visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Monday. \n\nIn a turbulent 24 hours in Russia , Saturday saw Prigozhin ordering troops from the private military company (PMC) towards Moscow.\u00a0 \n\nThe move briefly threw the immediate future of Russian President Vladimir Putin's \u00a0leadership into question.\u00a0 \n\nA deal was then struck between Moscow and Wagner,\u00a0which saw Prigozhin's troops abandon the mission with the Wagner boss going into exile in Belarus. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Neighbours of Belarus are reviewing their border security following the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's reported deal to be exiled there following the apparent \"mutiny\" by his mercenaries in Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Poland, both the Prime Minister and Defence minster inspected troops in the country's north east on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>\"We have strengthened the borders - the border with Belarus and the K\u00f6nigsberg region,\" said Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. \"We are aware of these threats and we are responding by anticipating attacks. After all, we have been dealing with a hybrid attack on the Polish border for two years.\"<\/p>\n<p>Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda said on Sunday that NATO would have to \"reinforce\" its eastern flank if Belarus were to harbour Yevgeny Prigozhin and his troops.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the situation remains uncertain:\u00a0 \"The situation is delicate and anything can happen. We continue to monitor the situation very closely.\"<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile coordinated and enhanced border crossing control measures have been introduced by Finalnd, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia with Russia and Belarus.<\/p>\n<p>German Defence Minsiter Boris Pistorius announced plans to send around 4,000 additional Bundeswehr\u00a0permanently to Lithuania to strengthen Nato's eastern flank.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"Germany is prepared to permanently station a robust brigade in Lithuania.brigade in Lithuania on a permanent basis,\" he said Pistorius during a visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//25//wagner-boss-yevgeny-prigozhin-exiled-to-belarus-in-lukashenko-brokered-deal/">turbulent 24 hours in Russia<\/strong><\/a>, Saturday saw Prigozhin ordering troops from the private military company (PMC) towards Moscow.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The move briefly threw the immediate future of <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//search?query=vladimir-putin\%22>Russian President Vladimir Putin's<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0leadership into question.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A deal was then struck between Moscow and Wagner,\u00a0which saw Prigozhin's troops abandon the mission with the Wagner boss going into exile in Belarus.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1687724919,"publishedAt":1687774806,"updatedAt":1687776305,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/06\/26\/belarus-neighbours-tighten-security-amid-lukashenko-prigozhin-deal","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/16\/93\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ef281e70-a65d-5090-b447-f70892590ce3-7169360.jpg","altText":"FILE- The border crossing between Poland and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast is closed, in Goldap, Poland, Thursday, July 7, 2022","caption":"FILE- The border crossing between Poland and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast is closed, in Goldap, Poland, Thursday, July 7, 2022","captionCredit":"Michal Dyjuk\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4326,"height":2884}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":4525,"slug":"borders","urlSafeValue":"borders","title":"Borders","titleRaw":"Borders"},{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":27658,"slug":"yevgeny-prigozhin","urlSafeValue":"yevgeny-prigozhin","title":"Yevgeny Prigozhin","titleRaw":"Yevgeny Prigozhin"},{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":205,"slug":"nato","urlSafeValue":"nato","title":"NATO","titleRaw":"NATO"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2305724},{"id":2306896}],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":85000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":10488047,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/26\/en\/230626_NWSU_52190833_52190864_85000_071358_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":85000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":15548143,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/26\/en\/230626_NWSU_52190833_52190864_85000_071358_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8m1ykj","youtubeId":"-4T9b9ZvtXc"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_sensitive_news-ent','gb_sensitive_edu','gv_crime','pos_ukrainecriris_ru','gs_news_and_weather','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_indus','gs_tech','gs_tech_consumer','gs_busfin_indus_media','gs_tech_consumer_smartphone','gs_news'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"path":"\/2023\/06\/26\/belarus-neighbours-tighten-security-amid-lukashenko-prigozhin-deal","lastModified":1687776305},{"id":2293308,"cid":7664978,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230609_NWSU_51993393","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Putin says Russian tactical nuclear weapons to be deployed to Belarus next month","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Russia to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus next month ","titleListing2":"Putin says Russian tactical nuclear weapons to be deployed to Belarus next month","leadin":"Putin announced the planned deployment of short-range nuclear weapons in Belarus earlier this year in a move widely seen as a warning to the West as it stepped up military support for Ukraine. ","summary":"Putin announced the planned deployment of short-range nuclear weapons in Belarus earlier this year in a move widely seen as a warning to the West as it stepped up military support for Ukraine. ","url":"putin-says-russian-tactical-nuclear-weapons-to-be-deployed-to-belarus-next-month","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow will deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus next month, a move that comes as Ukraine launches its long-expected counteroffensive.\u00a0\u00a0 \n\nPutin said during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that work on building facilities for the nuclear weapons will be completed by 7-8 July, and they will be moved to the territory of Russia\u2019s neighbour and ally quickly after that. \n\nRussia used Belarus\u2019 territory to send its troops into Ukraine last February and has kept forces and weapons on the territory of its ally. \n\n\u201cEverything is proceeding as planned,\u201d Putin said in televised remarks as he hosted Lukashenko at his residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. \u201cOn July 7-8, the preparations of the relevant facilities will be completed and we will immediately start the activities linked to the deployment of those weapons on your territory.\u201d \n\nTactical nuclear weapons are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield. They have a relatively short range and a much lower yield than nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.\u00a0 \n\nRussia didn\u2019t say how many nuclear weapons would be sent to Belarus. The US government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow will deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus next month, a move that comes as Ukraine launches its long-expected counteroffensive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Putin said during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that work on building facilities for the nuclear weapons will be completed by 7-8 July, and they will be moved to the territory of Russia\u2019s neighbour and ally quickly after that.<\/p>\n<p>Russia used Belarus\u2019 territory to send its troops into Ukraine last February and has kept forces and weapons on the territory of its ally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything is proceeding as planned,\u201d Putin said in televised remarks as he hosted Lukashenko at his residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. \u201cOn July 7-8, the preparations of the relevant facilities will be completed and we will immediately start the activities linked to the deployment of those weapons on your territory.\u201d<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6486214\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//02//17//belarus-ready-to-host-nuclear-weapons-in-case-of-western-threat-says-lukashenko/">Belarus ready to host 'nuclear weapons' in case of Western threat, says Lukashenko<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Tactical nuclear weapons are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield. They have a relatively short range and a much lower yield than nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Russia didn\u2019t say how many nuclear weapons would be sent to Belarus. The US government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1686313184,"publishedAt":1686341510,"updatedAt":1686342069,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/06\/09\/putin-says-russian-tactical-nuclear-weapons-to-be-deployed-to-belarus-next-month","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/49\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d4fc2bb2-0359-5c51-9fed-07ff33516634-7664988.jpg","altText":"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko walk during their meeting at a resort city of Sochi,","caption":"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko walk during their meeting at a resort city of Sochi,","captionCredit":"Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":8263,"slug":"vladimir-putin","urlSafeValue":"vladimir-putin","title":"Vladimir Putin","titleRaw":"Vladimir Putin"},{"id":6632,"slug":"alexander-lukashenko","urlSafeValue":"alexander-lukashenko","title":"Alexander Lukashenko","titleRaw":"Alexander Lukashenko"},{"id":7895,"slug":"nuclear-weapons","urlSafeValue":"nuclear-weapons","title":"Nuclear weapons","titleRaw":"Nuclear weapons"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2281018},{"id":2281342},{"id":2292758}],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":5200,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":5004524,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/09\/en\/230609_NWSU_51993393_51993428_5200_173328_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":5200,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":7484652,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/09\/en\/230609_NWSU_51993393_51993428_5200_173328_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8lnby3","youtubeId":"ZZ5iDAvjWCA"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_military','gb_safe','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics','gs_science','gs_personalfin','gs_personalfin_invest'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"path":"\/2023\/06\/09\/putin-says-russian-tactical-nuclear-weapons-to-be-deployed-to-belarus-next-month","lastModified":1686342069},{"id":2281190,"cid":7628904,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230525_WBWB_51785556","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Today, Minsk is the European capital of political prisoners and human rights violations","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Today, Minsk is the European capital of political prisoners","titleListing2":"VIEW | Lukashenka's continued crackdown is a catastrophe unfolding right now in the middle of Europe and on the EU's border. Remaining silent about it will come at a significant cost, Anna Zlatkovskaya, Inna Kavalionak, and Vita Dudko write.","leadin":"Lukashenka's continued repression of dissent is a catastrophe unfolding right now in the middle of Europe and on the EU's border. Remaining silent about it will come at a significant cost, Anna Zlatkovskaya, Inna Kavalionak, and Vita Dudko write.","summary":"Lukashenka's continued repression of dissent is a catastrophe unfolding right now in the middle of Europe and on the EU's border. Remaining silent about it will come at a significant cost, Anna Zlatkovskaya, Inna Kavalionak, and Vita Dudko write.","url":"today-minsk-is-the-european-capital-of-political-prisoners-and-human-rights-violations","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"2020 was one of the most significant years in the history of Belarus. It was the year of the presidential elections, and strongman Alexander Lukashenka claimed victory, though the results were rejected both by the Belarusian people and the international community alike.\u00a0 \n\nThroughout the remainder of 2020, mass protests took place in Belarus, followed by a forceful crackdown. Those detained during the protests are the political prisoners of today.\u00a0 \n\nRight now, their number stands at 1772, and when all of their prison sentences are added up, the total comes out to mindblowing 7717 years they are expected to spend behind bars. \n\nLukashenka won fairly just once \n\nThere have always been political prisoners in Belarus, but the focus was previously on individual charges. As of May 2020 \u2014 months before the August election \u2014 there were only two such cases. \n\nHowever, throughout Lukashenka's nearly 30 years in power, people have been subjected to persecution, unlawful arrests, and violence.\u00a0 \n\nTo this day, the cases of the disappearances of Lukashenka's main political opponents of the 1990s, such as Yuriy Zakharanka, remain unresolved. \n\nThe only elections that Aliaksandar Lukashenka won fairly were those in 1994. \n\nSubsequent elections were marred by violations, which elicited reactions from both the international community and the Belarusian people.\u00a0 \n\nLarge-scale protests followed the elections in 2006 and 2010. Anyone who took to the streets was subjected to aggressive attacks by the security forces.\u00a0 \n\nHowever, it was the year 2020 that stood out. Why? \n\nCOVID outbreak mismanagement resulted in growing demands for change \n\nOverall, the period from 2015 to 2020 witnessed relative liberalisation in Belarus. \n\nVarious NGOs existed, the cultural sector developed, and Belarusian society felt increasingly independent and capable of participating in the life of their country. \n\nAt the beginning of 2020, when the whole world was facing the COVID-19 pandemic and taking measures to prevent its spread, the authorities in Belarus took a dismissive approach. \n\nNo mask mandates or other safety measures were implemented. \n\nLukashenka suggested treating the virus with vodka and tractors. Belarusians began organising grassroots initiatives and assisting healthcare workers by crowdfunding and providing them with protective equipment.\u00a0 \n\nTherefore, when interesting and promising candidates emerged in the pre-election field in May 2020 \u2014 such as Valery Tsepkalo, Viktar Babaryka, Sergei Tikhanovsky and later Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya\u00a0\u2014 there was a strong demand for change in society. \n\nBelarusians actively engaged in the pre-election campaign, engaging in civic mobilisation, pickets, and the 2020 elections promised to be vibrant and different.\u00a0 \n\n2020 elections end up in violence and repression \n\nHowever, Lukashenka continued to act as he always had, arresting politicians and activists. Even the yet-to-be-registered candidates, Sergei Tikhanovsky and Viktar Babaryka, were detained before the elections.\u00a0 \n\nThe only officially registered candidate was the \"harmless, ordinary housewife\" Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.\u00a0 \n\nRepresentatives of Viktar Babaryka \u2014 the candidate with the greatest support\u00a0\u2014 and Valery Tsepkalo later supported her campaign.\u00a0 \n\nThus, a triad emerged: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kalesnikava, and Veronika Tsepkalo. The female trio captured the world's attention. \n\nThe 9 August elections were marred by numerous violations, followed by four dark days in the history of Belarus filled with violence.\u00a0 \n\nUnarmed people were subjected to stun grenades, beatings, and arrests. Some were immediately charged with criminal offences, while others were placed under 15-day arrest.\u00a0 \n\nBy mid-September 2020, it became evident that the number of political prisoners would only continue to rise. \n\nUnprecedented repression paralysed the Belarus society \n\nThe level of repression and political persecution in Belarus has been unprecedented. Since September 2020, there hasn't been a week without an increase in the number of political prisoners in Belarus, with the ages of those imprisoned ranging between 16 and 75 years old. \n\nPeople continue to be detained and sent to prison in 2023 simply for being recognised in protest photographs, the most common charge being \"participation in mass riots\" or \"preparation for mass riots\".\u00a0 \n\nOther popular charges include the \"formation of organised groups\". Since 2022, individuals have also been regularly targeted for supporting the resistance to the war in Ukraine. \n\nIn turn, the level of repression has paralysed Belarusian society, making it impossible for any public protests to take place.\u00a0 \n\nThis is reinforced by hate speech propagated through state-controlled media, which further divides society.\u00a0 \n\nThe absence of a social contract in Belarus creates a dangerous situation that relies solely on the perpetuation of endless repression. Many Belarusians are forced to leave the country out of fear of persecution. \n\nYellow patches and extremist labels \n\nOn top of that, political prisoners in Belarus face constant additional pressures.\u00a0 \n\nThey experience numerous restrictions, get labelled as extremists, and are required to wear yellow patches on their clothing. \n\nThey are deprived of correspondence, meetings with family members, and receiving packages.\u00a0 \n\nAdequate medical assistance is often denied to them. One of the opposition leaders, Maria Kalesnikava, was hospitalised in the autumn of 2022, and Viktar Babaryka's condition and status remain unknown to this day.\u00a0 \n\nAs we near the summer, there is a trend toward complete isolation of political prisoners, especially the leaders. \n\nThere is a risk that a society that has gone through such trauma will no longer be able to resist, especially considering its proximity to Russia.\u00a0 \n\nEurope can't remain silent \n\nResistance is a strategic and political struggle for each political prisoner for freedom and for the respect of human rights.\u00a0 \n\nIf we do not want to lose the country to the Kremlin and allow the Russian border to reach the European Union, we must openly and repeatedly speak out about what is happening in Belarus without remaining silent and, in turn, complicit.\u00a0 \n\nThis is what Belarusians continue to talk about and ask the global community, whose values \u200b\u200bare human dignity and the observance of rights and freedoms, to do as well. \n\nNormalcy must triumph over repression, torture, and unlawful regimes. \n\nAnna Zlatkovskaya, Inna Kavalionak, and Vita Dudko are members of Politzek.me, a platform supporting political prisoners in Belarus. \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>2020 was one of the most significant years in the history of Belarus. It was the year of the presidential elections, and strongman Alexander Lukashenka claimed victory, though the results were rejected both by the Belarusian people and the international community alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the remainder of 2020, mass protests took place in Belarus, followed by a forceful crackdown. Those detained during the protests are the political prisoners of today.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Right now, their number stands at 1772, and when all of their prison sentences are added up, the total comes out to mindblowing 7717 years they are expected to spend behind bars.<\/p>\n<h2>Lukashenka won fairly just once<\/h2><p>There have always been political prisoners in Belarus, but the focus was previously on individual charges. As of May 2020 \u2014 months before the August election \u2014 there were only two such cases.<\/p>\n<p>However, throughout Lukashenka's nearly 30 years in power, people have been subjected to persecution, unlawful arrests, and violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To this day, the cases of the disappearances of Lukashenka's main political opponents of the 1990s, such as Yuriy Zakharanka, remain unresolved.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.705078125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//89//04//808x569_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg/" alt=\"ITAR-TASS viia AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/384x271_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/640x451_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/750x529_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/828x584_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1080x761_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1200x846_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1920x1354_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Russian President Vladimir Putin and Aliaksandar Lukashenka speak while meeting in Putin's residence at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, August 2004<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">ITAR-TASS viia AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The only elections that Aliaksandar Lukashenka won fairly were those in 1994.<\/p>\n<p>Subsequent elections were marred by violations, which elicited reactions from both the international community and the Belarusian people.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7501428,6346322\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//31//belarus-seeks-nuclear-weapons-to-prepare-for-conflict-with-the-west-says-lukashenko/">Belarus seeks nuclear weapons to prepare for conflict with the West, says Lukashenko<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2022//01//04//is-europe-turning-its-back-on-belarusians-fleeing-lukashenko-s-regime/">Is Europe turning its back on Belarusians fleeing Lukashenko's regime?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Large-scale protests followed the elections in 2006 and 2010. Anyone who took to the streets was subjected to aggressive attacks by the security forces.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, it was the year 2020 that stood out. Why?<\/p>\n<h2>COVID outbreak mismanagement resulted in growing demands for change<\/h2><p>Overall, the period from 2015 to 2020 witnessed relative liberalisation in Belarus.<\/p>\n<p>Various NGOs existed, the cultural sector developed, and Belarusian society felt increasingly independent and capable of participating in the life of their country.<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of 2020, when the whole world was facing the COVID-19 pandemic and taking measures to prevent its spread, the authorities in Belarus took a dismissive approach.<\/p>\n<p>No mask mandates or other safety measures were implemented.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6953125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//89//04//808x561_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo/Maxim Guchek\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/384x267_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/640x445_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/750x521_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/828x576_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1080x751_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1200x834_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1920x1335_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Aliaksandar Lukashenka plants young trees during a subbotnik, a Soviet-style Clean-up Day, in the village of Alexandria, April 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo/Maxim Guchek<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Lukashenka suggested treating the virus with vodka and tractors. Belarusians began organising grassroots initiatives and assisting healthcare workers by crowdfunding and providing them with protective equipment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, when interesting and promising candidates emerged in the pre-election field in May 2020 \u2014 such as Valery Tsepkalo, Viktar Babaryka, Sergei Tikhanovsky and later Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya\u00a0\u2014 there was a strong demand for change in society.<\/p>\n<p>Belarusians actively engaged in the pre-election campaign, engaging in civic mobilisation, pickets, and the 2020 elections promised to be vibrant and different.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>2020 elections end up in violence and repression<\/h2><p>However, Lukashenka continued to act as he always had, arresting politicians and activists. Even the yet-to-be-registered candidates, Sergei Tikhanovsky and Viktar Babaryka, were detained before the elections.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The only officially registered candidate was the \"harmless, ordinary housewife\" Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Representatives of Viktar Babaryka \u2014 the candidate with the greatest support\u00a0\u2014 and Valery Tsepkalo later supported her campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6826171875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//89//04//808x553_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo/Sergei Grits\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/384x262_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/640x437_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/750x512_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/828x565_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1080x737_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1200x819_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1920x1311_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kalesnikava, and Veronika Tsepkalo during a meeting in support of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Minsk, July 2020<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo/Sergei Grits<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Thus, a triad emerged: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kalesnikava, and Veronika Tsepkalo. The female trio captured the world's attention.<\/p>\n<p>The 9 August elections were marred by numerous violations, followed by four dark days in the history of Belarus filled with violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7629394,7445780\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//29//sviatlana-tsikhanouskaya-the-fate-of-belarus-and-the-fate-of-ukraine-are-intertwined/">Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: 'The fate of Belarus and the fate of Ukraine are intertwined'<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//06//exilied-belarusian-opposition-leader-svetlana-tikhanovskaya-sentenced-to-15-years-in-priso/">Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya sentenced to 15 years in prison<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Unarmed people were subjected to stun grenades, beatings, and arrests. Some were immediately charged with criminal offences, while others were placed under 15-day arrest.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By mid-September 2020, it became evident that the number of political prisoners would only continue to rise.<\/p>\n<h2>Unprecedented repression paralysed the Belarus society<\/h2><p>The level of repression and political persecution in Belarus has been unprecedented. Since September 2020, there hasn't been a week without an increase in the number of political prisoners in Belarus, with the ages of those imprisoned ranging between 16 and 75 years old.<\/p>\n<p>People continue to be detained and sent to prison in 2023 simply for being recognised in protest photographs, the most common charge being \"participation in mass riots\" or \"preparation for mass riots\".\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The absence of a social contract in Belarus creates a dangerous situation that relies solely on the perpetuation of endless repression.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//06//14//22//00//808x539_cmsv2_c80abffb-aa93-5d94-a813-3586872000e0-6142200.jpg/" alt=\"Mindaugas Kulbis/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/14\/22\/00\/384x256_cmsv2_c80abffb-aa93-5d94-a813-3586872000e0-6142200.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/14\/22\/00\/640x427_cmsv2_c80abffb-aa93-5d94-a813-3586872000e0-6142200.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/14\/22\/00\/750x500_cmsv2_c80abffb-aa93-5d94-a813-3586872000e0-6142200.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/14\/22\/00\/828x552_cmsv2_c80abffb-aa93-5d94-a813-3586872000e0-6142200.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/14\/22\/00\/1080x720_cmsv2_c80abffb-aa93-5d94-a813-3586872000e0-6142200.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/14\/22\/00\/1200x800_cmsv2_c80abffb-aa93-5d94-a813-3586872000e0-6142200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/14\/22\/00\/1920x1281_cmsv2_c80abffb-aa93-5d94-a813-3586872000e0-6142200.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Protesters demanding freedom for political prisoners in Belarus near Medininkai close to the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, June 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Mindaugas Kulbis/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Other popular charges include the \"formation of organised groups\". Since 2022, individuals have also been regularly targeted for supporting the resistance to the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>In turn, the level of repression has paralysed Belarusian society, making it impossible for any public protests to take place.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is reinforced by hate speech propagated through state-controlled media, which further divides society.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The absence of a social contract in Belarus creates a dangerous situation that relies solely on the perpetuation of endless repression. Many Belarusians are forced to leave the country out of fear of persecution.<\/p>\n<h2>Yellow patches and extremist labels<\/h2><p>On top of that, political prisoners in Belarus face constant additional pressures.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They experience numerous restrictions, get labelled as extremists, and are required to wear yellow patches on their clothing.<\/p>\n<p>They are deprived of correspondence, meetings with family members, and receiving packages.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">There is a risk that a society that has gone through such trauma will no longer be able to resist, especially considering its proximity to Russia.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6865234375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//89//04//808x553_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo/Sergei Grits\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/384x264_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/640x439_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/750x515_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/828x568_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1080x741_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1200x824_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1920x1318_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">People pass informational posters for Viktar Babaryka, potential candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, in Minsk, June 2020<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo/Sergei Grits<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Adequate medical assistance is often denied to them. One of the opposition leaders, Maria Kalesnikava, was hospitalised in the autumn of 2022, and Viktar Babaryka's condition and status remain unknown to this day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As we near the summer, there is a trend toward complete isolation of political prisoners, especially the leaders.<\/p>\n<p>There is a risk that a society that has gone through such trauma will no longer be able to resist, especially considering its proximity to Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Europe can't remain silent<\/h2><p>Resistance is a strategic and political struggle for each political prisoner for freedom and for the respect of human rights.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7514238\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//04//06//reengagement-with-lukashenka-is-morally-wrong-it-must-be-avoided/">Re-engaging with Lukashenka is morally and politically wrong. It must be avoided<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If we do not want to lose the country to the Kremlin and allow the Russian border to reach the European Union, we must openly and repeatedly speak out about what is happening in Belarus without remaining silent and, in turn, complicit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.8017578125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//89//04//808x646_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg/" alt=\"Konstantin Zavrazhin/Sputnik via AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/384x308_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/640x513_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/750x601_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/828x664_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1080x866_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1200x962_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1920x1539_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Russian President Vladimir Putin and Aliaksandar Lukashenka arrive for their talks in Minsk, December 2022<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Konstantin Zavrazhin/Sputnik via AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This is what Belarusians continue to talk about and ask the global community, whose values \u200b\u200bare human dignity and the observance of rights and freedoms, to do as well.<\/p>\n<p>Normalcy must triumph over repression, torture, and unlawful regimes.<\/p>\n<p><em>Anna Zlatkovskaya, Inna Kavalionak, and Vita Dudko are members of Politzek.me, a platform supporting political prisoners in Belarus.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/europe/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1685004569,"publishedAt":1685456574,"updatedAt":1685457798,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/30\/today-minsk-is-the-european-capital-of-political-prisoners-and-human-rights-violations","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f9f9e7ae-9808-5c61-a1d3-b057edf89902-7628904.jpg","altText":"a woman covers herself with an opposition flag in front of a police line near the residence of Alexander Lukashenka in Minsk, September 2020","caption":"a woman covers herself with an opposition flag in front of a police line near the residence of Alexander Lukashenka in Minsk, September 2020","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg","altText":"Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko plants young trees during a subbotnik, a Soviet-style Clean-up Day, in the village of Alexandria, April 2021","caption":"Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko plants young trees during a subbotnik, a Soviet-style Clean-up Day, in the village of Alexandria, April 2021","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Maxim Guchek","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":712},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_32c5914d-8339-5c94-8dae-17f3a65df9e9-7628904.jpg","altText":"Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenka speak while meeting in Putin's residence at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, August 2004","caption":"Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenka speak while meeting in Putin's residence at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, August 2004","captionCredit":"ITAR-TASS viia AP","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":722},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e7d6fa9b-d645-5993-8758-806cfc4bec72-7628904.jpg","altText":"during a meeting in support of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Minsk","caption":"during a meeting in support of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Minsk","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Sergei Grits","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":699},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c94edb3d-ab5a-5449-83d1-afa2c1d1a3c7-7628904.jpg","altText":"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrive for their talks in Minsk, December 2022","caption":"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrive for their talks in Minsk, December 2022","captionCredit":"Konstantin Zavrazhin\/Sputnik via AP","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":821},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_afc1c838-8266-522e-b5d1-f0bb86b8d359-7628904.jpg","altText":"People pass informational posters for Viktar Babaryka, potential candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, in Minsk, June 2020","caption":"People pass informational posters for Viktar Babaryka, potential candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, in Minsk, June 2020","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Sergei Grits","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":703}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":25462,"slug":"belarus-dissidents","urlSafeValue":"belarus-dissidents","title":"belarus-dissidents","titleRaw":"belarus-dissidents"},{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus politics"},{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":23964,"slug":"belarus-protests","urlSafeValue":"belarus-protests","title":"Belarus Protests","titleRaw":"Belarus 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Politzek.me","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"view","urlSafeValue":"view","title":"View","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/view"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_politics','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_facebook_2021','gb_crime_edu','neg_zegna_eng','sm_politics','neg_facebook_q4','gt_negative','gs_law','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','gv_crime','neg_intel_en','gs_politics_elections','gv_death_injury','gs_society','gs_society_misc','gs_covid19','gb_death_injury_edu','gv_hatespeech','gt_negative_anger'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"path":"\/2023\/05\/30\/today-minsk-is-the-european-capital-of-political-prisoners-and-human-rights-violations","lastModified":1685457798},{"id":2278858,"cid":7622074,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230522_NWSU_51744487","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Belarus pardons disident blogger Roman Protasevich, state media says ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarus pardons disident blogger Roman Protasevich, state media says","titleListing2":"Protasevich was accused of coordinating mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020. ","leadin":"Protasevich was accused of coordinating mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020. ","summary":"Protasevich was accused of coordinating mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020. ","url":"belarus-pardons-disident-blogger-roman-protasevich-state-media-says","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Belarusian authorities have pardoned Roman Protasevic, an opposition activist and journalist who was arrested and sentenced for coordinating mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020. \n\nThe 28-year-old was arrested two years ago on a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius, which made an emergency landing in Minsk due to a \u2018bomb threat\u2019. \n\nIn a statement to the Belarusian press, Protasevic stated that Lukashenko issued an amnesty decision and that he signed the necessary documents for his pardon. \n\nProtasevic, who was released with the amnesty decision, said: \"Of course, this is excellent news. I am personally grateful to the President and the country for this decision.\" \n\nHis family however said the string of apologetic statements was forced. \n\nOn 3 May, the Minsk District Court sentenced Protasevic to eight years in prison for his involvement in terrorist incidents in Belarus. \n\nProtasevic had been placed under house arrest since being apprehended. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Belarusian authorities have pardoned Roman Protasevic, an opposition activist and journalist who was arrested and sentenced for coordinating mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>The 28-year-old was arrested two years ago on a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius, which made an emergency landing in Minsk due to a \u2018bomb threat\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement to the Belarusian press, Protasevic stated that Lukashenko issued an amnesty decision and that he signed the necessary documents for his pardon.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7577094\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//03//dissident-belarus-journalist-sentenced-to-8-years-in-prison/">Dissident Belarus journalist sentenced to 8 years in prison<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Protasevic, who was released with the amnesty decision, said: \"Of course, this is excellent news. I am personally grateful to the President and the country for this decision.\"<\/p>\n<p>His family however said the string of apologetic statements was forced.<\/p>\n<p>On 3 May, the Minsk District Court sentenced Protasevic to eight years in prison for his involvement in terrorist incidents in Belarus.<\/p>\n<p>Protasevic had been placed under house arrest since being apprehended.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1684760363,"publishedAt":1684768001,"updatedAt":1684801083,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/22\/belarus-pardons-disident-blogger-roman-protasevich-state-media-says","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/20\/76\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0b39136e-8355-5f8e-b138-da3bdbb9b91e-7622076.jpg","altText":"Protasevich being arrested at an anti-government protest in Minsk circa 2020","caption":"Protasevich being arrested at an anti-government protest in Minsk circa 2020","captionCredit":"Sergei Grits\/Copyright 2017 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":753}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus politics"},{"id":11286,"slug":"opposition","urlSafeValue":"opposition","title":"Opposition","titleRaw":"Opposition"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":1882768},{"id":1925998},{"id":2263722}],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":35000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":4436322,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/05\/22\/en\/230522_NWSU_51744487_51744527_35000_161222_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":35000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":6502754,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/05\/22\/en\/230522_NWSU_51744487_51744527_35000_161222_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8l51cz","youtubeId":"aiSBYM2sgr8"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Anadolu","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_politics','gs_science','gs_news_and_weather','gs_news','gs_travel_locations','gs_travel_locations_europe','gs_tech_compute','gt_negative'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"path":"\/2023\/05\/22\/belarus-pardons-disident-blogger-roman-protasevich-state-media-says","lastModified":1684801083},{"id":2273090,"cid":7604842,"versionId":5,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230515_NWSU_51642856","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Photos of Lukashenko emerge after Belarus president missing in action for days, sparking rumours","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Photos of Lukashenko appear after questions over leader's health","titleListing2":"Photos of Lukashenko posted to presidential website amid health rumours","leadin":"On Monday, the state news agency Belta reported Lukashenko inspected an air force installation and a photo was posted to the presidential website showing him standing stiffly in a military jacket, taking a salute from an officer.","summary":"On Monday, the state news agency Belta reported Lukashenko inspected an air force installation and a photo was posted to the presidential website showing him standing stiffly in a military jacket, taking a salute from an officer.","url":"speculation-about-lukashenkos-health-after-belarus-president-missing-in-action-since-last-","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"For nearly a week, the whereabouts of Belarus\u2019 authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko have been a mystery. \n\nThe 68-year-old was last seen in public at a May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow\u2019s Red Square, looking pale and bloated, and he skipped a celebratory breakfast in the Kremlin to fly home. Later that day, he appeared at a similar event in his capital of Minsk to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, but then skipped other scheduled appearances for days, feeding speculation on social media about his health. \n\nOn Monday, the state news agency Belta reported Lukashenko inspected an air force installation and a photo was posted to the presidential website showing him standing stiffly in a military jacket, taking a salute from an officer. \n\nThe intent of the photo was clear\u00a0\u2014 to dispel rumours and reports that Lukashenko was seriously ill \u2014 although a bandage was wrapped on his left hand. On May 9 in Red Square, his right hand was bandaged. \n\nFlag Day no-show \n\nThe man who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for nearly three decades has been a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing the Kremlin to use his country as a staging ground for its war in neighbouring Ukraine, although he has stopped short of committing his troops to the conflict. \n\nLukashenko is the only foreign leader to regularly meet with Putin since the invasion began in February 2022, meeting 14 times. \n\nTheir last get-together was May 9, when Lukashenko attended the Moscow parade. He sat near Putin amid elderly veterans with medals as well as other leaders of neighbouring states in the Kremlin's effort to show that Russia was not completely isolated amid the war in Ukraine. \n\nOn photos and video, though, Lukashenko looked tired. After the parade, he was absent from a short walk by the leaders of about 300 meters from Red Square to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where they laid flowers. Media reports said Lukashenko rode to the memorial on an electric cart. \n\nHe then skipped a Putin-hosted breakfast and flew home for the Victory Day ceremony in Minsk, although he failed to make a speech for the first time in years, delegating it to his defence minister. \n\nSince then, he has cancelled a government meeting on corruption and then, for the first time in years, failed to show up at an important state holiday \u2014 Sunday's celebration of Flag Day. Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko read an address on his behalf. \n\nThen came Monday's state news report on his appearance at the central command post of the Belarusian air force, although there was no explanation of his recent absences or report on his health. A Belta photo shows him sitting impassively at a desk in the command post. \n\nGovernment officials have not commented on the unusual absence of Lukashenko, who typically appears at events and meetings almost daily, giving long, flamboyant speeches. The barrel-chested leader is often shown playing ice hockey or working in his vegetable garden. \n\nPavel Latushka, a former government official turned opposition activist, cited unidentified government sources as saying Lukashenko is suffering from a viral infection with a complication of myocarditis \u2014 an inflammation of the heart muscle. \n\nAnother report by the Belarusian independent news outlet Euroradio said Lukashenko was taken to an elite clinic in Minsk, with no details on his condition. \n\nNeither of those reports could be independently verified. \n\n'Nothing supernatural' \n\nRussian lawmaker Konstantin Zatulin told Russian media Sunday that Lukashenko \u201chas simply fallen ill.\u201d \n\n\u201cThere is nothing supernatural there, it's not COVID-19. The man has simply fallen ill,\" Zatulin was quoted by news outlets as saying. \u201cDespite the fact that the man fell ill, he considered it his duty to come to Moscow (on May 9), and that same evening he was holding events in Minsk. He probably needs some rest, and that's it,\u201d Zatulin said. \n\nAsked Monday about Lukashenko's health before the Belta news agency's dispatch, spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged reporters to \u201cfocus on official reports.\u201d \n\n\u201cThere has been no official reports from Minsk. And we believe that it's very important to focus on official information,\u201d Peskov said. \n\nLukashenko, a former collective farm director, has led Belarus since 1994, stifling any dissent with brutal repressions. The country's Soviet-style economy for decades has relied heavily on cheap Russian energy and loans Moscow generously granted multiple times. \n\nIn August 2020, after he won a sixth consecutive term in an election that was widely denounced as rigged, there were months of unprecedented protests in the country. The government responded with a violent crackdown, arresting over 35,000 people, with thousands beaten while in custody. Scores of independent media organizations and rights groups have been shut down, activists fled the country, and Lukashenko's government was hit with crippling sanctions by the U.S. and the European Union. \n\nPutin supported Lukashenko in suppressing the demonstrations, and in return, the Belarusian leader threw his weight behind Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. \n\nOpposition figures and analysts warn that a serious illness involving Lukashenko could destabilize Belarus. \n\nExiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya warned that \u201cin countries where dictatorship reigns, the entire system starts to collapse when a leader disappears.\u201d \n\n\u201cThere are many different rumours about the health of dictator Lukashenko, and for us, it means only one thing \u2014 we need to be well-prepared for any scenario,\u201d Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press in written comments Monday. \n\nIndependent political analyst Valery Karbalevich said that \u201chiding information about the health of the leader doesn't calm the situation down. It instead kicks off an avalanche of rumours and diagnoses \u2014 from poisoning to cancer.\u201d \n\n\u201cLukashenko is getting old and starts to get sick, and for a personalist regime, it becomes a serious factor for destabilizing the entire system, which begins to shudder and crumble,\u201d Karbalevich said. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>For nearly a week, the whereabouts of Belarus\u2019 authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko have been a mystery.<\/p>\n<p>The 68-year-old was last seen in public at a May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow\u2019s Red Square, looking pale and bloated, and he skipped a celebratory breakfast in the Kremlin to fly home. Later that day, he appeared at a similar event in his capital of Minsk to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, but then skipped other scheduled appearances for days, feeding speculation on social media about his health.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, the state news agency Belta reported Lukashenko inspected an air force installation and a photo was posted to the presidential website showing him standing stiffly in a military jacket, taking a salute from an officer.<\/p>\n<p>The intent of the photo was clear\u00a0\u2014 to dispel rumours and reports that Lukashenko was seriously ill \u2014 although a bandage was wrapped on his left hand. On May 9 in Red Square, his right hand was bandaged.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.68359375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//60//48//42//808x553_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/384x263_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/640x438_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/750x513_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/828x566_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/1080x738_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/1200x820_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/1920x1313_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Victory Day Parade at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin wall in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 9, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Flag Day no-show<\/h2><p>The man who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for nearly three decades has been a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing the Kremlin to use his country as a staging ground for its war in neighbouring Ukraine, although he has stopped short of committing his troops to the conflict.<\/p>\n<p>Lukashenko is the only foreign leader to regularly meet with Putin since the invasion began in February 2022, meeting 14 times.<\/p>\n<p>Their last get-together was May 9, when Lukashenko attended the Moscow parade. He sat near Putin amid elderly veterans with medals as well as other leaders of neighbouring states in the Kremlin's effort to show that Russia was not completely isolated amid the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>On photos and video, though, Lukashenko looked tired. After the parade, he was absent from a short walk by the leaders of about 300 meters from Red Square to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where they laid flowers. Media reports said Lukashenko rode to the memorial on an electric cart.<\/p>\n<p>He then skipped a Putin-hosted breakfast and flew home for the Victory Day ceremony in Minsk, although he failed to make a speech for the first time in years, delegating it to his defence minister.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, he has cancelled a government meeting on corruption and then, for the first time in years, failed to show up at an important state holiday \u2014 Sunday's celebration of Flag Day. Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko read an address on his behalf.<\/p>\n<p>Then came Monday's state news report on his appearance at the central command post of the Belarusian air force, although there was no explanation of his recent absences or report on his health. A Belta photo shows him sitting impassively at a desk in the command post.<\/p>\n<p>Government officials have not commented on the unusual absence of Lukashenko, who typically appears at events and meetings almost daily, giving long, flamboyant speeches. The barrel-chested leader is often shown playing ice hockey or working in his vegetable garden.<\/p>\n<p>Pavel Latushka, a former government official turned opposition activist, cited unidentified government sources as saying Lukashenko is suffering from a viral infection with a complication of myocarditis \u2014 an inflammation of the heart muscle.<\/p>\n<p>Another report by the Belarusian independent news outlet Euroradio said Lukashenko was taken to an elite clinic in Minsk, with no details on his condition.<\/p>\n<p>Neither of those reports could be independently verified.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.529296875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//60//48//42//808x428_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg/" alt=\"AP/Belarus' Presidential Press Office\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/384x203_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/640x339_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/750x397_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/828x438_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/1080x572_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/1200x635_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/1920x1016_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">In this handout photo released by Belarus' Presidential Press Office, President Lukashenko visit the Air Force and Air Defense Forces in Belarus, Monday, May 15, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP/Belarus' Presidential Press Office<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>'Nothing supernatural'<\/h2><p>Russian lawmaker Konstantin Zatulin told Russian media Sunday that Lukashenko \u201chas simply fallen ill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is nothing supernatural there, it's not COVID-19. The man has simply fallen ill,\" Zatulin was quoted by news outlets as saying. \u201cDespite the fact that the man fell ill, he considered it his duty to come to Moscow (on May 9), and that same evening he was holding events in Minsk. He probably needs some rest, and that's it,\u201d Zatulin said.<\/p>\n<p>Asked Monday about Lukashenko's health before the Belta news agency's dispatch, spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged reporters to \u201cfocus on official reports.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere has been no official reports from Minsk. And we believe that it's very important to focus on official information,\u201d Peskov said.<\/p>\n<p>Lukashenko, a former collective farm director, has led Belarus since 1994, stifling any dissent with brutal repressions. The country's Soviet-style economy for decades has relied heavily on cheap Russian energy and loans Moscow generously granted multiple times.<\/p>\n<p>In August 2020, after he won a sixth consecutive term in an election that was widely denounced as rigged, there were months of unprecedented protests in the country. The government responded with a violent crackdown, arresting over 35,000 people, with thousands beaten while in custody. Scores of independent media organizations and rights groups have been shut down, activists fled the country, and Lukashenko's government was hit with crippling sanctions by the U.S. and the European Union.<\/p>\n<p>Putin supported Lukashenko in suppressing the demonstrations, and in return, the Belarusian leader threw his weight behind Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Opposition figures and analysts warn that a serious illness involving Lukashenko could destabilize Belarus.<\/p>\n<p>Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya warned that \u201cin countries where dictatorship reigns, the entire system starts to collapse when a leader disappears.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are many different rumours about the health of dictator Lukashenko, and for us, it means only one thing \u2014 we need to be well-prepared for any scenario,\u201d Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press in written comments Monday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1657964661990469633\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Independent political analyst Valery Karbalevich said that \u201chiding information about the health of the leader doesn't calm the situation down. It instead kicks off an avalanche of rumours and diagnoses \u2014 from poisoning to cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLukashenko is getting old and starts to get sick, and for a personalist regime, it becomes a serious factor for destabilizing the entire system, which begins to shudder and crumble,\u201d Karbalevich said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1684137425,"publishedAt":1684139862,"updatedAt":1684214783,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/15\/speculation-about-lukashenkos-health-after-belarus-president-missing-in-action-since-last-","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bc469079-bc5e-5eb2-b097-eaab9b3a061a-7604842.jpg","altText":"In this handout photo released by Belarus' Presidential Press Office, President Lukashenko, centre, visits Air Force and Air Defense Forces in Belarus, Monday, May 15, 2023. ","caption":"In this handout photo released by Belarus' Presidential Press Office, President Lukashenko, centre, visits Air Force and Air Defense Forces in Belarus, Monday, May 15, 2023. ","captionCredit":"AP\/Belarus' Presidential Press Office","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":550},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_73fb7501-e0eb-5539-aaf2-564f544739a7-7604842.jpg","altText":"In this handout photo released by Belarus' Presidential Press Office, President Lukashenko visit the Air Force and Air Defense Forces in Belarus, Monday, May 15, 2023.","caption":"In this handout photo released by Belarus' Presidential Press Office, President Lukashenko visit the Air Force and Air Defense Forces in Belarus, Monday, May 15, 2023.","captionCredit":"AP\/Belarus' Presidential Press Office","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":542},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_73aacd87-3b62-511c-b505-a1f6ad56c342-7604842.jpg","altText":"Victory Day Parade at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin wall in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 9, 2023.","caption":"Victory Day Parade at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin wall in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 9, 2023.","captionCredit":"AP Photo","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":700},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/60\/48\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_eb5ff947-1d08-54e1-8dfe-381703da2ca1-7604842.jpg","altText":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, centre, watches the Victory Day military parade marking the 78th anniversary of the end of World War II in Red square in Moscow, Rus","caption":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, centre, watches the Victory Day military parade marking the 78th anniversary of the end of World War II in Red square in Moscow, Rus","captionCredit":"AP Photo","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus politics"},{"id":6632,"slug":"alexander-lukashenko","urlSafeValue":"alexander-lukashenko","title":"Alexander Lukashenko","titleRaw":"Alexander Lukashenko"},{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2},{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2239618},{"id":2239972},{"id":2241206}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":91960,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":12036441,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/05\/16\/en\/230516_NWSU_51654227_51654264_91960_072228_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":91960,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":17924953,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/05\/16\/en\/230516_NWSU_51654227_51654264_91960_072228_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8kyg0e","youtubeId":"AGdwuE83zJI"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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and Lukashenko hold talks on closer defence and economic ties","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Putin says Belarus storage facility for nuclear weapons ready by July","titleListing2":"Putin and Lukashenko hold talks on closer defence and economic ties","leadin":"Russia\u2019s President Vladimir Putin holds talks with his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on expanding political, military, and economic ties between the two countries.","summary":"Russia\u2019s President Vladimir Putin holds talks with his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on expanding political, military, and economic ties between the two countries.","keySentence":null,"url":"putin-and-lukashenko-hold-talks-on-closer-defence-and-economic-ties","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Russia\u2019s President Vladimir Putin is holding talks in Moscow with his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on expanding political, military, and economic ties between the two countries. \n\nA strong supporter of Putin, Lukashenko arrived in the city on Wednesday for two days of meetings which included discussions on plans to deploy Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus. \n\nDeploying these tactical weapons to Belarus would put them closer to potential targets in Ukraine and NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe. \n\nPutin has said that the construction of storage facilities in Belarus for the weapons would be completed by 1 July. \n\nMoscow has also helped modernise Belarusian warplanes to adapt them to carrying nuclear weapons and provided the country with Iskander short-range missiles that could be fitted with a nuclear warhead. \n\nCrews started training in Russia this week. \n\nThe meeting between the two men took place within the framework of the so-called Supreme Council of the State Union. \n\nIn his speech, Lukashenko warned that if necessary, he would use everything in his power to protect his country. \n\nMoscow used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there. \n\nLukashenko has been in power for nearly 29 years, cracking down on dissent and relying on Russian subsidies to run his country\u2019s Soviet-style economy. \n\nMoscow's support helped him weather months of massive protests against his re-election in an August 2020 vote that was rejected by the opposition and the West as rigged. \n\nOn Thursday, Putin also met with the leaders of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow annexed in September.","htmlText":"<p>Russia\u2019s President Vladimir Putin is holding talks in Moscow with his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on expanding political, military, and economic ties between the two countries.<\/p>\n<p>A strong supporter of Putin, Lukashenko arrived in the city on Wednesday for two days of meetings which included discussions on plans to deploy Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus.<\/p>\n<p>Deploying these tactical weapons to Belarus would put them closer to potential targets in Ukraine and NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Putin has said that the construction of storage facilities in Belarus for the weapons would be completed by 1 July.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow has also helped modernise Belarusian warplanes to adapt them to carrying nuclear weapons and provided the country with Iskander short-range missiles that could be fitted with a nuclear warhead.<\/p>\n<p>Crews started training in Russia this week.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting between the two men took place within the framework of the so-called Supreme Council of the State Union.<\/p>\n<p>In his speech, Lukashenko warned that if necessary, he would use everything in his power to protect his country.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there.<\/p>\n<p>Lukashenko has been in power for nearly 29 years, cracking down on dissent and relying on Russian subsidies to run his country\u2019s Soviet-style economy.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow's support helped him weather months of massive protests against his re-election in an August 2020 vote that was rejected by the opposition and the West as rigged.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Putin also met with the leaders of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow annexed in September.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680786377,"publishedAt":1680798512,"updatedAt":1680798515,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/04\/06\/putin-and-lukashenko-hold-talks-on-closer-defence-and-economic-ties","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/38\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_67950af1-330c-5f76-bd9b-dde2d7ff2988-7513812.jpg","altText":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin","caption":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with his Russian counterpart Vladimir 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with Lukashenka is morally and politically wrong. It must be avoided","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Re-engaging with Lukashenka is deeply wrong. It must be avoided","titleListing2":"VIEW | Negotiating with Belarus' strongman would mean rewarding him for his role in the war against Ukraine and his repression of opposition-minded Belarusians. It would also open the door for Putin, Arkady Moshes and Ryhor Nizhnikau write.","leadin":"Negotiating with Belarus' strongman would mean rewarding him for his role in the war against Ukraine and consenting to the repression against opposition-minded Belarusians. It would also open the door for Putin, Arkady Moshes and Ryhor Nizhnikau write.","summary":"Negotiating with Belarus' strongman would mean rewarding him for his role in the war against Ukraine and consenting to the repression against opposition-minded Belarusians. It would also open the door for Putin, Arkady Moshes and Ryhor Nizhnikau write.","keySentence":null,"url":"reengagement-with-lukashenka-is-morally-wrong-it-must-be-avoided","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"In recent weeks, Belarus has been sending contradictory signals to the West.\u00a0 \n\nOn the one hand, it indicated an interest towards breaking the Western diplomatic isolation.\u00a0 \n\nMinsk hosted Hungarian Foreign Minister P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, expressed support for \u201cpeace\u201d in Ukraine and released one political prisoner \u2013 And\u017celika Borys, the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, detained since March 2021.\u00a0 \n\nOn the other hand, a pre-announced stationing of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus, the reopening of the Tehran-Minsk flight route \u2013 agreed upon during Aliaksandr Lukashenka\u2019s visit to Iran \u2013 which potentially augurs a new round of a migrant crisis on EU\u2019s eastern borders, and intensifying repressions against civil society activists all point to a cost for the West of ignoring the Minsk regime\u2019s \u201cgestures of goodwill\u201d. \n\nA discussion seems to be picking up on whether re-establishing contacts with Lukashenka\u2019s regime should be once again attempted.\u00a0 \n\nA Chatham House publication, for example, advocates opening direct channels of communication with Lukashenka, revising the sanctions and even possibly lifting some of them.\u00a0 \n\nWhile these proposals are only one element of a long list of otherwise solid recommendations, if accepted, they would constitute a crucial turn in the Western approach. \n\nSuch an overture would damage the Western course towards both Belarus and the whole region. \n\nLukashenka should not be rewarded for his misdeeds \n\nRe-engaging with Lukashenka would be morally wrong. It would mean rewarding him for his role in the war against Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nMinsk provided Russia with territory, air space, training sites, logistical support and other assets, which significantly facilitated Russia\u2019s aggression. For this, Minsk should expect to be held fully responsible and not given forgiveness. \n\nIt would also mean silently consenting to Lukashenka\u2019s regime's repression against opposition-minded Belarusians that has been incessantly going on in the country since August 2020.\u00a0 \n\nBelarus now has approximately 1,500 political prisoners \u2013 six times the number which USSR had when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power. \n\nBut, even more, this would be politically detrimental. \n\nA policy of a \u201creset\u201d with Lukashenka has been tried several times, most recently in 2008-10 and 2014-20. \n\nEach time, the Western decision to restart the dialogue was driven by the arguments that sanctions \u2013 usually very light \u2013 do not work and that pressure will only push Belarus into Russia\u2019s embrace.\u00a0 \n\nEach time, this deal implied an asymmetric trade-off of minor domestic liberalisation in Belarus for the repeal of Western sanctions and the explicit recognition by the West of Minsk\u2019s purported role as a regional security donor or even a balancer against Russia\u2019s regional influence. \n\nBut each time, the rapprochement would end disastrously, with a new, more brutal wave of repressions against the civil society and Belarus' increased dependence on Russia.\u00a0 \n\nWhy should it be different now? Why could and should Lukashenka be trusted this time?\u00a0So far, the advocates of softening the Western approach have offered no answer to this question. \n\nTreating Lukashenka as a legitimate partner opens the door for Putin \n\nFurthermore, let us imagine that today, Lukashenka himself would be genuinely ready for a different approach, despite the odds. \n\nThe problem is that, after 2020, his regime has completely lost the freedom to manoeuvre vis-\u00e0-vis the Kremlin.\u00a0 \n\nNow that the Russian troops have been deployed in Belarus and that Moscow's subsidies are the only thing keeping the Belarusian economy on life support, it is hardly possible to speak about Lukashenka as a sovereign ruler who would be able to deliver upon his hypothetical promise.\u00a0 \n\nAnd the Kremlin could hardly be expected to benevolently watch a new round of Minsk\u2019s flirtation with the West. \n\nIn fact, the most dangerous effect of the Western change of tack towards Lukashenka would involve Russia's Vladimir Putin. \n\nIn the past, Putin often saw that the West lacked strategic patience, preferring unsustainable compromises to conflicts and rushing to \u201cnormalise\u201d relations with the same Moscow after every crisis. \n\nShould the \u201creset\u201d now happen to Lukashenka \u2013 backed by the thought, for example, that he needs assistance to regain distance from Moscow \u2013 why could the same not be offered to Russia, arguably, in order to slow down the process of its own conversion into a junior partner of China?\u00a0 \n\nThese expectations do not need to be realistic. But they would appear logical and, most likely, will make Kremlin more self-confident and more willing to further escalate the situation in Ukraine. \n\nBelarusian people should be given a shot at a European future \n\nThe only message that is worth conveying to Lukashenka is that he must unconditionally release, rehabilitate and publicly apologise to all political prisoners and that his refusal to do so will gradually lead to increasing pressure on his regime. \n\nThe only Western interlocutor and partner in the dialogue in Belarus should be its people, who are suffering from the repressive regime and who\u00a0\u2013 nevertheless and by consensus \u2013 oppose Minsk\u2019s direct involvement in the war in Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nThey should be offered a European future. And while working out a strategy for achieving this and communicating the message is admittedly much more difficult than resuming \u201ca dialogue\u201d with Lukashenka, it would still be the only way to avoid a total fiasco of the West's policy toward Belarus. \n\nArkady Moshes serves as the Director of Russia, the EU\u2019s Eastern Neighbourhood and Eurasia programme, and Ryhor Nizhnikau is a Senior Researcher\u00a0at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.","htmlText":"<p>In recent weeks, Belarus has been sending contradictory signals to the West.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On the one hand, it indicated an interest towards breaking the Western diplomatic isolation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Minsk hosted Hungarian Foreign Minister P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, expressed support for \u201cpeace\u201d in Ukraine and released one political prisoner \u2013 And\u017celika Borys, the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, detained since March 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, a pre-announced stationing of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus, the reopening of the Tehran-Minsk flight route \u2013 agreed upon during Aliaksandr Lukashenka\u2019s visit to Iran \u2013 which potentially augurs a new round of a migrant crisis on EU\u2019s eastern borders, and intensifying repressions against civil society activists all point to a cost for the West of ignoring the Minsk regime\u2019s \u201cgestures of goodwill\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>A discussion seems to be picking up on whether re-establishing contacts with Lukashenka\u2019s regime should be once again attempted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7501428\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//31//belarus-seeks-nuclear-weapons-to-prepare-for-conflict-with-the-west-says-lukashenko/">Belarus seeks nuclear weapons to prepare for conflict with the West, says Lukashenko<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A Chatham House publication, for example, advocates opening direct channels of communication with Lukashenka, revising the sanctions and even possibly lifting some of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While these proposals are only one element of a long list of otherwise solid recommendations, if accepted, they would constitute a crucial turn in the Western approach.<\/p>\n<p>Such an overture would damage the Western course towards both Belarus and the whole region.<\/p>\n<h2>Lukashenka should not be rewarded for his misdeeds<\/h2><p>Re-engaging with Lukashenka would be morally wrong. It would mean rewarding him for his role in the war against Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Minsk provided Russia with territory, air space, training sites, logistical support and other assets, which significantly facilitated Russia\u2019s aggression. For this, Minsk should expect to be held fully responsible and not given forgiveness.<\/p>\n<p>It would also mean silently consenting to Lukashenka\u2019s regime's repression against opposition-minded Belarusians that has been incessantly going on in the country since August 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Belarus now has approximately 1,500 political prisoners \u2013 six times the number which USSR had when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power.<\/p>\n<p>But, even more, this would be politically detrimental.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Why could and should Lukashenka be trusted this time? So far, the advocates of softening the Western approach have offered no answer to this question.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6435546875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//35//86//06//808x521_cmsv2_d29183f1-7bcc-5fea-b3c2-3a4f52c6ea61-7358606.jpg/" alt=\"Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/86\/06\/384x247_cmsv2_d29183f1-7bcc-5fea-b3c2-3a4f52c6ea61-7358606.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/86\/06\/640x412_cmsv2_d29183f1-7bcc-5fea-b3c2-3a4f52c6ea61-7358606.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/86\/06\/750x483_cmsv2_d29183f1-7bcc-5fea-b3c2-3a4f52c6ea61-7358606.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/86\/06\/828x533_cmsv2_d29183f1-7bcc-5fea-b3c2-3a4f52c6ea61-7358606.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/86\/06\/1080x695_cmsv2_d29183f1-7bcc-5fea-b3c2-3a4f52c6ea61-7358606.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/86\/06\/1200x772_cmsv2_d29183f1-7bcc-5fea-b3c2-3a4f52c6ea61-7358606.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/86\/06\/1920x1236_cmsv2_d29183f1-7bcc-5fea-b3c2-3a4f52c6ea61-7358606.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko arrives at Robert Mugabe International airport in Harare, 30 January 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A policy of a \u201creset\u201d with Lukashenka has been tried several times, most recently in 2008-10 and 2014-20.<\/p>\n<p>Each time, the Western decision to restart the dialogue was driven by the arguments that sanctions \u2013 usually very light \u2013 do not work and that pressure will only push Belarus into Russia\u2019s embrace.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Each time, this deal implied an asymmetric trade-off of minor domestic liberalisation in Belarus for the repeal of Western sanctions and the explicit recognition by the West of Minsk\u2019s purported role as a regional security donor or even a balancer against Russia\u2019s regional influence.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7432928\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//02//28//hello-old-friend-belarus-president-lukashenko-in-beijing-to-meet-xi-jinping/">'Hello old friend': Belarus President Lukashenko in Beijing to meet Xi Jinping<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>But each time, the rapprochement would end disastrously, with a new, more brutal wave of repressions against the civil society and Belarus' increased dependence on Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Why should it be different now? Why could and should Lukashenka be trusted this time?\u00a0So far, the advocates of softening the Western approach have offered no answer to this question.<\/p>\n<h2>Treating Lukashenka as a legitimate partner opens the door for Putin<\/h2><p>Furthermore, let us imagine that today, Lukashenka himself would be genuinely ready for a different approach, despite the odds.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that, after 2020, his regime has completely lost the freedom to manoeuvre vis-\u00e0-vis the Kremlin.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Now that the Russian troops have been deployed in Belarus and that Moscow's subsidies are the only thing keeping the Belarusian economy on life support, it is hardly possible to speak about Lukashenka as a sovereign ruler who would be able to deliver upon his hypothetical promise.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And the Kremlin could hardly be expected to benevolently watch a new round of Minsk\u2019s flirtation with the West.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">In the past, Putin often saw that the West lacked strategic patience, preferring unsustainable compromises to conflicts and rushing to 'normalise' relations with the same Moscow after every crisis.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//51//42//38//808x539_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/384x256_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/640x427_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/750x500_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/828x552_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/1080x720_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/1200x800_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/1920x1281_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Face masks depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a street souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, November 2022<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In fact, the most dangerous effect of the Western change of tack towards Lukashenka would involve Russia's Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n<p>In the past, Putin often saw that the West lacked strategic patience, preferring unsustainable compromises to conflicts and rushing to \u201cnormalise\u201d relations with the same Moscow after every crisis.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7260876\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//12//20//putin-lukashenko-meet-while-russia-struggles-in-illegaly-annexed-regions/">Putin-Lukashenko meet while Russia struggles in illegaly annexed regions<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Should the \u201creset\u201d now happen to Lukashenka \u2013 backed by the thought, for example, that he needs assistance to regain distance from Moscow \u2013 why could the same not be offered to Russia, arguably, in order to slow down the process of its own conversion into a junior partner of China?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These expectations do not need to be realistic. But they would appear logical and, most likely, will make Kremlin more self-confident and more willing to further escalate the situation in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<h2>Belarusian people should be given a shot at a European future<\/h2><p>The only message that is worth conveying to Lukashenka is that he must unconditionally release, rehabilitate and publicly apologise to all political prisoners and that his refusal to do so will gradually lead to increasing pressure on his regime.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7123902\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//10//17//belarusians-fight-for-ukraine-with-an-eye-on-ousting-lukashenko/">Belarusians fight for Ukraine with an eye on ousting Lukashenko<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The only Western interlocutor and partner in the dialogue in Belarus should be its people, who are suffering from the repressive regime and who\u00a0\u2013 nevertheless and by consensus \u2013 oppose Minsk\u2019s direct involvement in the war in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//51//42//38//808x539_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/384x256_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/640x427_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/750x500_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/828x552_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/1080x720_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/1200x800_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/1920x1281_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Protesters hold banners during a demonstration demanding freedom for Belarus opposition activist Roman Protasevich in front of the US Embassy in Vilnius, May 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>They should be offered a European future. And while working out a strategy for achieving this and communicating the message is admittedly much more difficult than resuming \u201ca dialogue\u201d with Lukashenka, it would still be the only way to avoid a total fiasco of the West's policy toward Belarus.<\/p>\n<p><em>Arkady Moshes serves as the Director of Russia, the EU\u2019s Eastern Neighbourhood and Eurasia programme, and Ryhor Nizhnikau is a Senior Researcher\u00a0at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/europe/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680772639,"publishedAt":1680779455,"updatedAt":1680786560,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/04\/06\/reengagement-with-lukashenka-is-morally-wrong-it-must-be-avoided","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_163bbf06-57c3-58f9-aabd-c3c4b6e86402-7514238.jpg","altText":"Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko delivers his speech during meeting with CSTO peacekeepers near Minsk, 15 January 2022","caption":"Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko delivers his speech during meeting with CSTO peacekeepers near Minsk, 15 January 2022","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_49a4d876-b948-5513-99f3-e095797ec7b8-7514238.jpg","altText":"Protesters hold banners during a demonstration demanding freedom for Belarus opposition activist Roman Protasevich in front of the US Embassy in Vilnius, May 2021","caption":"Protesters hold banners during a demonstration demanding freedom for Belarus opposition activist Roman Protasevich in front of the US Embassy in Vilnius, May 2021","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Mindaugas Kulbis","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/51\/42\/38\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7e04b64e-932a-58f7-91a2-4ef8b0ef3a71-7514238.jpg","altText":"Face masks depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a street souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, November 2022","caption":"Face masks depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a street souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, November 2022","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Dmitri Lovetsky","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus politics"},{"id":6632,"slug":"alexander-lukashenko","urlSafeValue":"alexander-lukashenko","title":"Alexander Lukashenko","titleRaw":"Alexander Lukashenko"},{"id":26330,"slug":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","urlSafeValue":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"Ukraine war","titleRaw":"Ukraine war"},{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":3},{"slug":"quotation","count":2},{"slug":"related","count":4}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Arkady Moshes and Ryhor Nizhnikau, Finnish Institute of International Affairs","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"view","urlSafeValue":"view","title":"View","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/view"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2023\/04\/06\/reengagement-with-lukashenka-is-morally-wrong-it-must-be-avoided","lastModified":1680786560},{"id":2241206,"cid":7511106,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230405_NWSU_51111169","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_zegna_eng','neg_mobkoi_creed_eng','neg_mobkoi_new','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_politics','neg_intel_mobkoi','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','gs_politics_misc','neg_ukraine_russia_war','gt_negative','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gt_negative_fear','gt_negative_anger','gs_war_conflict'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Kremlin likely to 'coerce Belarus into further union', claims analyst","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Kremlin likely to 'coerce Belarus into further union' - analyst","titleListing2":"Kremlin likely to 'coerce Belarus into further union', claims analyst","leadin":"In February, a leaked document showed Putin's alleged plans to annex Belarus by 2030.","summary":"In February, a leaked document showed Putin's alleged plans to annex Belarus by 2030.","keySentence":null,"url":"kremlin-likely-to-coerce-belarus-into-further-union-claims-analyst","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Russia may try and force Belarus to move towards unity, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).\u00a0 \n\nIn its daily briefing, the\u00a0US-based analysts said: \"The Kremlin will likely attempt to coerce Belarus into further Union State integration when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko meet in Moscow on April 5 and 6.\" \n\nIt added: \"Belarus may be pressured into \"more integration concessions under the rubric of defending... [it] from claimed Western military and\/of terrorist threats.\" \n\nThe governments of Belarus and Russia are staunch allies. Moscow used Belarusian territory to launch its invasion of Ukraine and is conducting military exercises in the country, sparking fears Belarus could get dragged into the conflict.\u00a0 \n\nPutin and his Belarusian counterpart\u00a0Lukashenko are\u00a0due to meet for private bilateral discussions on Wednesday, which will \"address\u00a0the implementation of the Union State Treaty\" through 28 different programmes from 2021 to 2023, according to the ISW.\u00a0\u00a0 \n\nOfficials also plan to agree on unspecific \"practical issues of further integration\", it added, suggesting this could be in the area of intelligence sharing.\u00a0 \n\nIn 1999, Belarus and Russia signed the Union State Treaty, which aimed at deepening economic and military cooperation between the two.\u00a0 \n\nThe exact nature of the political union that could emerge remains vague and much of what is discussed is shrouded in secrecy.\u00a0 \n\nMany past plans, such as adopting a common currency, have faltered and fallen by the wayside, though the Ukraine war is reinvigorating some efforts.\u00a0 \n\nMinsk had previously gained independence from Moscow in 1991, following the dissolution of the USSR.\u00a0Despite the strong likes between their two governments, Belarusians retain a distinct society, culture and history.\u00a0 \n\nA leaked document in February purported to show Putin's alleged plans to annex Belarus by 2030. If this were the case, the EU would share an extensive border with Russia. \n\nThere is a growing divide between Belarusians and their leader\u00a0Lukashenko, especially his policies towards Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nPolling by an independent Belarusian sociologist Andrei Vardomatsky found that only 11% were in favour of Belarus participating in the fighting. \n\nIn 2019, Belarusians took to the streets to protest a meeting between Putin and Lukashenko on discussing deeper integration.\u00a0 \n\nSome suggested it would be a full capitulation to Moscow, allowing it to control Belarus.\u00a0 \n\nLast month, Russia said it would station tactical nukes on the territory of its western neighbour.\u00a0 \n\nThe move sparked a fierce backlash from the EU, with the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell saying it was an \"irresponsible escalation and threat to European Security\".","htmlText":"<p>Russia may try and force Belarus to move towards unity, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In its daily briefing, the\u00a0US-based analysts said: \"The Kremlin will likely attempt to coerce Belarus into further Union State integration when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko meet in Moscow on April 5 and 6.\"<\/p>\n<p>It added: \"Belarus may be pressured into \"more integration concessions under the rubric of defending... [it] from claimed Western military and\/of terrorist threats.\"<\/p>\n<p>The governments of Belarus and Russia are staunch allies. Moscow used Belarusian territory to launch its invasion of Ukraine and is conducting military exercises in the country, sparking fears Belarus could get dragged into the conflict.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7507390\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//04//05//stupid-dictator-is-europe-turning-its-back-on-belarusian-allies/">'Stupid dictator': Is Europe betraying its Belarusian allies?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Putin and his Belarusian counterpart\u00a0Lukashenko are\u00a0due to meet for private bilateral discussions on Wednesday, which will \"address\u00a0the implementation of the Union State Treaty\" through 28 different programmes from 2021 to 2023, according to the ISW.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Officials also plan to agree on unspecific \"practical issues of further integration\", it added, suggesting this could be in the area of intelligence sharing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 1999, Belarus and Russia signed the Union State Treaty, which aimed at deepening economic and military cooperation between the two.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The exact nature of the political union that could emerge remains vague and much of what is discussed is shrouded in secrecy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Many past plans, such as adopting a common currency, have faltered and fallen by the wayside, though the Ukraine war is reinvigorating some efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Minsk had previously gained independence from Moscow in 1991, following the dissolution of the USSR.\u00a0Despite the strong likes between their two governments, Belarusians retain a distinct society, culture and history.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A leaked document in February purported to show Putin's alleged plans to annex Belarus by 2030. If this were the case, the EU would share an extensive border with Russia.<\/p>\n<p>There is a growing divide between Belarusians and their leader\u00a0Lukashenko, especially his policies towards Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7488042\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//26//putin-says-russia-will-station-tactical-nukes-in-belarus-sending-a-clear-warning-to-the-we/">EU threatens more sanctions if Russia moves nukes to Belarus<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Polling by an independent Belarusian sociologist Andrei Vardomatsky found that only 11% were in favour of Belarus participating in the fighting.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, Belarusians took to the streets to protest a meeting between Putin and Lukashenko on discussing deeper integration.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some suggested it would be a full capitulation to Moscow, allowing it to control Belarus.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last month, Russia said it would station tactical nukes on the territory of its western neighbour.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The move sparked a fierce backlash from the EU, with the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell saying it was an \"irresponsible escalation and threat to European Security\".<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680673345,"publishedAt":1680689784,"updatedAt":1680694894,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/04\/05\/kremlin-likely-to-coerce-belarus-into-further-union-claims-analyst","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/49\/42\/94\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c6a42e3c-86b3-50d3-b8eb-2f178cf030b5-7494294.jpg","altText":"Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko talk at a meeting in Russia in February, 2023.","caption":"Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko talk at a meeting in Russia in February, 2023.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Vladimir Astapkovich\/Copyright 2023 Sputnik","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":602}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"askew","title":"Joshua Askew","twitter":"@jweaskew"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"Ukraine war","titleRaw":"Ukraine war"},{"id":1982,"slug":"minsk","urlSafeValue":"minsk","title":"Minsk","titleRaw":"Minsk"}],"related":[{"id":2237684},{"id":2237572},{"id":2242456}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":2}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2023\/04\/05\/kremlin-likely-to-coerce-belarus-into-further-union-claims-analyst","lastModified":1680694894},{"id":2239972,"cid":7507390,"versionId":6,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230403_NWSU_51087324","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_politics','gt_negative','neg_zegna_eng','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_facebook_2021','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','castrol_negative_uk','gs_politics_misc','neg_intel_mobkoi','neg_mobkoi_creed_eng','gb_crime_edu','gs_travel_locations_europe','gs_travel','gs_travel_locations','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gt_negative_anger','gb_sensitive_news-ent','gs_law','gv_military','gv_crime','gt_negative_fear','gt_negative_mistrust'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"'Stupid dictator': Is Europe betraying its Belarusian allies?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"'Stupid dictator': Is Europe betraying its Belarusian allies?","titleListing2":"'Stupid dictator': Is Europe betraying its Belarusian allies?","leadin":"\"Some people think we [Belarusians] are dangerous,\" said one dissident. \"Its discrimination\".","summary":"\"Some people think we [Belarusians] are dangerous,\" said one dissident. \"Its discrimination\".","keySentence":null,"url":"stupid-dictator-is-europe-turning-its-back-on-belarusian-allies","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"As massive anti-government protests were crushed between 2020 - 21, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians left their country, facing a whirlwind\u00a0of repression and violence at home. \n\nA mix of students, activists and political opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko\u2019s oppressive regime, most escaped to neighbours Poland and Lithuania, their first points of safety. \n\nAnd there they stayed. \n\nIf they go back, many of those opposed to Europe\u2019s \"last dictator\" would face arrest, imprisonment or worse. \n\n\u201cWe are here because we don't have a choice\u201d, said Alexey Yevtushik, a Belarusian activist.\u00a0 \n\nThe 37-year-old escaped to Lithuania two years ago, after being arrested at a demonstration in his homeland. He says he was imprisoned and tortured by police, leaving him little choice but to flee.\u00a0 \n\nYet, since the war in Ukraine, Belarusian exiles like Yevtushik say they are facing growing discrimination and hostility in the European Union, shouldering blame for Belarus's emphatic support of Russia. \n\nIt manifests in many ways.\u00a0 European universities and landlords have reportedly refused to accept Belarusians, while some companies are no longer hiring them. \n\nAnd\u00a0 Sweden and the Czech Republic have been criticised for trying to deport Belarusian asylum seekers, despite the risk of the death penalty back home. \n\n\u2018Ignorance and indifference\u2019 \n\nThis new wave of ill-feeling since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 fails to recognise that Belarusians overwhelmingly disapprove of their leader Lukashenko and the war in Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nPolling by an independent Belarusian sociologist Andrei Vardomatsky found that only 11% were in favour of Belarus participating in the fighting. \n\nMeanwhile, two-thirds of those surveyed are against Russia\u2019s use of Belarus as a staging point from which to conduct military operations in Ukraine. \n\n\u201cSome people think we are dangerous, like some kind of enemy,\u201d Yevtushik told Euronews, recalling a recent incident in which some \"drunk guys\" asked him if he \"loved Putin\". \n\n\u201cIt's discrimination. Belarus is participating in this war on Russia\u2019s side, but it's not us, it's our stupid dictator.\u201d \n\nStill, he continued:\u00a0\u201cEven if there are problems here, it is better than living in a prison. That\u2019s the choice we face: Prison or freedom\u201d. \n\nPart of the problem impacting Belarusian exiles in Europe is common misperceptions.\u00a0 \u00a0 \n\nAccording to Andrei Vazyanau, a lecturer at Vilnius'\u00a0 European Humanities University , in countries not bordering Belarus, public attitudes are shaped by a \u201ccolonial vision\u201d promoted by Moscow, which obscures the fact that Belarus is distinct from - and resists - Russia. \n\n\u201cPeople are usually indifferent because they don't see Belarus as a separate,\u201d he says.\u00a0 \n\nBelarus, meaning white Russians, was part of the USSR until its dissolution in 1991. Though its government shares deep economic and political ties with Russia, the country has its own distinct culture and history. \n\nIn February, a leaked document showed Putin's plans to annex Belarus by 2030. If this were the case the EU would share an extensive border with Russia. \n\n\u2018Nobody discriminates against Belarusians more than the Belarusian government\u2019 \n\nEven in Lithuania, one of the principal allies of the Belarusian opposition, the \"mood is changing\", says Vazyanau. \n\nThe government proposed banning Belarusians and Russians from obtaining Lithuania citizenship, though rowed back on this in March. \n\n\u201cIt was a symbolic humiliation,\u201d Vazyanau told Euronews. \u201cPeople were outraged to see themselves put with Russians in one norm.\u201d \n\nHe said anti-European elements in Russia and Belarus were seizing on policies like this to mock dissidents, claiming it showed Europe would give them \u201cnothing\u201d. \n\n\u201cPeople are disappointed at the very idea of international solidarity,\u201d he explained. \u201cThey feel betrayed on so many levels.\u201d \n\n\u201cIt's not this that makes Belarusians enthusiastic about Russia because Moscow is also not doing anything good to Belarus, it's that people get disappointed in Western democracies.\u201d \n\nAlthough Lithuania has done more than any country to help Belarus, allowing dissidents to set up within its borders, Vazyanau says opinion is divided on the \u201cBelarusian question\u201d. \n\n\u201cOn the one hand, Lithuania has seen the massive repression of civilians in Belarus. It has this ambition of promoting democracy, showing solidarity and being faithful to its values\u201d. \n\n\u201cOn the other, it is a small country and is afraid of the threats of special agents and spies that can infiltrate. Other European countries don't face this issue\u201d. \n\nThere are 40,000 Belarusian citizens in Lithuania, according to the Eastern Europe Studies Centre . Some 86% of respondents in their survey said they left Belarus for political reasons. \n\n\u2018No freedom without blood\u2019 \n\nAttitudes towards Belarusians have been hugely influenced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \n\nOutraged Belarusians took to the streets days after Russian tanks rolled across the border and more than 1,500 people have been arrested for anti-war actions.\u00a0 \n\nMeanwhile, three Belarusian regiments are reportedly fighting for Ukraine. \n\nStill, parts of its territory were used to stage the invasion, while Moscow\u2019s troops are now training in Belarus \u2013 sparking fears Belarus will get dragged into the war. \n\nSome Ukrainians have lambasted the Belarusian population for not challenging Lukashenko violently, invoking their own 2014 revolution that saw Putin-ally President Viktor Yanukovych deposed after deadly clashes between protesters and state forces. \n\nFor Vazyanau, this is an unfair criticism. \n\nNot only does Ukraine have a \"story of successful protest\" \u2013 capable of inspiring resistance \u2013 the situations in each country are not comparable, he says. \n\nDemonstrations in Belarus were ruthlessly and brutally suppressed with help from the Kremlin, with many suggesting Lukashenko only survived because of Putin's intervention. \n\nPlus there was \"no international support\u201d for protesters in Belarus, he said.\u00a0\u201cSome countries helped people escape the violence, but no country helped the fight back.\u201d \n\n\u201cWe were counting on solidarity in 2020.\u201d \n\nMore than 250,000 people gathered in the streets of Minsk, the Belarusian capital, two years ago, demonstrating against the allegedly fabricated results of presidential elections, which saw Lukashenko declared the winner.\u00a0 \n\nIt was the largest protest movement in Belarus\u2019s modern history. \n\nBelieving that \u201ceveryone would benefit\u201d if Belarus was independent, Vazyanau told Euronews: \u201cOne thing rights defenders and those engaged in partisan struggles need is a changed visa policy, making it easier for Belarusians to travel to the EU.\u201d \n\n\u201cThere are many inside Belarus who are doing something to support Ukraine and resist the occupation of their country. But they are devoid of support.\" \n\n\u201cI think this is what Europe can \u2013 and should \u2013 do.\u201d","htmlText":"<p>As massive anti-government protests were crushed between 2020 - 21, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians left their country, facing a whirlwind\u00a0of repression and violence at home.<\/p>\n<p>A mix of students, activists and political opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko\u2019s oppressive regime, most escaped to neighbours Poland and Lithuania, their first points of safety.<\/p>\n<p>And there they stayed.<\/p>\n<p>If they go back, many of those opposed to Europe\u2019s \"last dictator\" would face arrest, imprisonment or worse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are here because we don't have a choice\u201d, said Alexey Yevtushik, a Belarusian activist.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The 37-year-old escaped to Lithuania two years ago, after being arrested at a demonstration in his homeland. He says he was imprisoned and tortured by police, leaving him little choice but to flee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet, since the war in Ukraine, Belarusian exiles like Yevtushik say they are facing growing discrimination and hostility in the European Union, shouldering blame for Belarus's emphatic support of Russia.<\/p>\n<p>It manifests in many ways.\u00a0<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.schengenvisainfo.com//news//estonian-universities-to-ban-new-russian-belarus-students-due-to-war-in-ukraine///">European universities<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////belarusdigest.com//story//war-at-the-door-former-soviet-countries-react-to-russias-invasion///">landlords have reportedly refused to accept Belarusians, while some <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////news.house//43844/">companies are no longer hiring them.<\/p>\n<p>And\u00a0<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.voiceofbelarus.org//belarus-news//belarusians-in-sweden-ask-to-stop-deportation-of-refugees-from-belarus///">Sweden and the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////belsat.eu//news//29-03-2023-prapanavali-vyarnutstsa-damou-bo-tam-byaspechna-belarusu-admovili-u-mizhnarodnaj-abarone-u-chehii/">Czech Republic<\/strong><\/a> have been criticised for trying to deport Belarusian asylum seekers, despite the risk of the death penalty back home.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Ignorance and indifference\u2019<\/h2><p>This new wave of ill-feeling since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 fails to recognise that Belarusians overwhelmingly disapprove of their leader Lukashenko and the war in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.dw.com//ru//issledovanie-belorusy-ne-schitajut-svoju-stranu-souchastnicej-vojny-v-ukraine//a-61597441/">Polling by an independent Belarusian sociologist Andrei Vardomatsky found that only 11% were in favour of Belarus participating in the fighting.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, two-thirds of those <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.dw.com//ru//gimn-ukrainy-i-molitva-za-mir-kak-belorusy-protestujut-protiv-vojny//a-61438803/">surveyed are against Russia\u2019s use of Belarus as a staging point from which to conduct military operations in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people think we are dangerous, like some kind of enemy,\u201d Yevtushik told Euronews, recalling a recent incident in which some \"drunk guys\" asked him if he \"loved Putin\".<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt's discrimination. Belarus is participating in this war on Russia\u2019s side, but it's not us, it's our stupid dictator.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, he continued:\u00a0\u201cEven if there are problems here, it is better than living in a prison. That\u2019s the choice we face: Prison or freedom\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//06//15//19//80//808x539_cmsv2_9d9e9e6e-2a23-54d9-b7f0-a4893efa0702-6151980.jpg/" alt=\"Evgeniy Maloletka/Copyright 2020 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/15\/19\/80\/384x256_cmsv2_9d9e9e6e-2a23-54d9-b7f0-a4893efa0702-6151980.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/15\/19\/80\/640x427_cmsv2_9d9e9e6e-2a23-54d9-b7f0-a4893efa0702-6151980.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/15\/19\/80\/750x500_cmsv2_9d9e9e6e-2a23-54d9-b7f0-a4893efa0702-6151980.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/15\/19\/80\/828x552_cmsv2_9d9e9e6e-2a23-54d9-b7f0-a4893efa0702-6151980.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/15\/19\/80\/1080x720_cmsv2_9d9e9e6e-2a23-54d9-b7f0-a4893efa0702-6151980.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/15\/19\/80\/1200x800_cmsv2_9d9e9e6e-2a23-54d9-b7f0-a4893efa0702-6151980.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/15\/19\/80\/1920x1281_cmsv2_9d9e9e6e-2a23-54d9-b7f0-a4893efa0702-6151980.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">August 2020, a woman waves an old Belarusian national flag n the roof as Belarusian opposition supporters march to Independence Square in Minsk, Belarus.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Evgeniy Maloletka/Copyright 2020 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Part of the problem impacting Belarusian exiles in Europe is common misperceptions.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>According to Andrei Vazyanau, a lecturer at Vilnius'\u00a0<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//ehustudents?lang=en\%22>European Humanities University<\/strong><\/a>, in countries not bordering Belarus, public attitudes are shaped by a \u201ccolonial vision\u201d promoted by Moscow, which obscures the fact that Belarus is distinct from - and resists - Russia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are usually indifferent because they don't see Belarus as a separate,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Belarus, meaning white Russians, was part of the USSR until its dissolution in 1991. Though its government shares deep economic and political ties with Russia, the country has its own distinct culture and history.<\/p>\n<p>In February, a leaked document showed Putin's plans to annex Belarus by 2030. If this were the case the EU would share an extensive border with Russia.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7427104,7488750,7445780\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//26//ukraine-calls-for-un-action-over-planned-nuclear-weapon-deployment-in-belarus/">Ukraine calls for UN action over planned nuclear weapon deployment in Belarus<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2023//03//19//for-belarus-tech-workers-in-exile-polands-business-visa-is-a-vital-lifeline-to-escape-repr/">For Belarus' tech workers in exile, Poland's business visa is a vital lifeline to escape repression<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//06//exilied-belarusian-opposition-leader-svetlana-tikhanovskaya-sentenced-to-15-years-in-priso/">Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya sentenced to 15 years in prison<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>\u2018Nobody discriminates against Belarusians more than the Belarusian government\u2019<\/h2><p>Even in Lithuania, one of the principal allies of the Belarusian opposition, the \"mood is changing\", says Vazyanau.<\/p>\n<p>The government proposed banning Belarusians and Russians from obtaining Lithuania citizenship, though rowed back on this in March.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a symbolic humiliation,\u201d Vazyanau told Euronews. \u201cPeople were outraged to see themselves put with Russians in one norm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said anti-European elements in Russia and Belarus were seizing on policies like this to mock dissidents, claiming it showed Europe would give them \u201cnothing\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are disappointed at the very idea of international solidarity,\u201d he explained. \u201cThey feel betrayed on so many levels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt's not this that makes Belarusians enthusiastic about Russia because Moscow is also not doing anything good to Belarus, it's that people get disappointed in Western democracies.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.73828125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//06//23//32//54//808x599_cmsv2_a690d30b-a249-5db1-9f84-5e4c2191d6d6-6233254.jpg/" alt=\"AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/23\/32\/54\/384x284_cmsv2_a690d30b-a249-5db1-9f84-5e4c2191d6d6-6233254.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/23\/32\/54\/640x473_cmsv2_a690d30b-a249-5db1-9f84-5e4c2191d6d6-6233254.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/23\/32\/54\/750x554_cmsv2_a690d30b-a249-5db1-9f84-5e4c2191d6d6-6233254.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/23\/32\/54\/828x611_cmsv2_a690d30b-a249-5db1-9f84-5e4c2191d6d6-6233254.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/23\/32\/54\/1080x797_cmsv2_a690d30b-a249-5db1-9f84-5e4c2191d6d6-6233254.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/23\/32\/54\/1200x886_cmsv2_a690d30b-a249-5db1-9f84-5e4c2191d6d6-6233254.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/23\/32\/54\/1920x1418_cmsv2_a690d30b-a249-5db1-9f84-5e4c2191d6d6-6233254.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The Belarusian president and Russian President Vladimir Putin are long-term allies.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Although Lithuania has done more than any country to help Belarus, allowing dissidents to set up within its borders, Vazyanau says opinion is divided on the \u201cBelarusian question\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the one hand, Lithuania has seen the massive repression of civilians in Belarus. It has this ambition of promoting democracy, showing solidarity and being faithful to its values\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the other, it is a small country and is afraid of the threats of special agents and spies that can infiltrate. Other European countries don't face this issue\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>There are 40,000 Belarusian citizens in Lithuania, according to the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.eesc.lt//wp-content//uploads//2022//10//EESC-research-Migration-from-Belarus-and-economic-social-and-political-integration-1.pdf/">Eastern Europe Studies Centre<\/strong><\/a>. Some 86% of respondents in their survey said they left Belarus for political reasons.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018No freedom without blood\u2019<\/h2><p>Attitudes towards Belarusians have been hugely influenced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Outraged Belarusians took to the streets days after Russian tanks rolled across the border and more than 1,500 people have been arrested for anti-war actions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, three Belarusian regiments are reportedly fighting for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Still, parts of its territory were used to stage the invasion, while Moscow\u2019s troops are now training in Belarus \u2013 sparking fears Belarus will get dragged into the war.<\/p>\n<p>Some Ukrainians have lambasted the Belarusian population for not challenging Lukashenko violently, invoking their own 2014 revolution that saw Putin-ally President Viktor Yanukovych deposed after deadly clashes between protesters and state forces.<\/p>\n<p>For Vazyanau, this is an unfair criticism.<\/p>\n<p>Not only does Ukraine have a \"story of successful protest\" \u2013 capable of inspiring resistance \u2013 the situations in each country are not comparable, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Demonstrations in Belarus were ruthlessly and brutally suppressed with help from the Kremlin, with many suggesting Lukashenko only survived because of Putin's intervention.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//50//73//90//808x539_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg/" alt=\"AP/Copyright 2020 The AP. All rights reserved\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/73\/90\/384x256_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/73\/90\/640x427_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/73\/90\/750x500_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/73\/90\/828x552_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/73\/90\/1080x720_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/73\/90\/1200x800_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/73\/90\/1920x1281_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">August 2020, protesters carry a wounded man during clashes with police in Minsk, Belarus.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP/Copyright 2020 The AP. All rights reserved<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Plus there was \"no international support\u201d for protesters in Belarus, he said.\u00a0\u201cSome countries helped people escape the violence, but no country helped the fight back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were counting on solidarity in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More than 250,000 people gathered in the streets of Minsk, the Belarusian capital, two years ago, demonstrating against the allegedly fabricated results of presidential elections, which saw Lukashenko declared the winner.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It was the largest protest movement in Belarus\u2019s modern history.<\/p>\n<p>Believing that \u201ceveryone would benefit\u201d if Belarus was independent, Vazyanau told Euronews: \u201cOne thing rights defenders and those engaged in partisan struggles need is a changed visa policy, making it easier for Belarusians to travel to the EU.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are many inside Belarus who are doing something to support Ukraine and resist the occupation of their country. But they are devoid of support.\"<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think this is what Europe can \u2013 and should \u2013 do.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680528483,"publishedAt":1680670820,"updatedAt":1680712497,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/04\/05\/stupid-dictator-is-europe-turning-its-back-on-belarusian-allies","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/05\/97\/24\/22\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_855d5dc7-4470-57ff-9a94-7ec6d1f10b9a-5972422.jpg","altText":"August 2020, demonstrators carry a huge historical flag of Belarus as thousands gather for a protest at the Independence square in Minsk, Belarus.","caption":"August 2020, demonstrators carry a huge historical flag of Belarus as thousands gather for a protest at the Independence square in Minsk, Belarus.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Dmitri Lovetsky\/Copyright 2020 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":688},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/73\/90\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f292969f-f644-5222-91e6-0bfa6ba2f9f4-7507390.jpg","altText":"protesters carry a wounded man during clashes with police in Minsk, Belarus.","caption":"protesters carry a wounded man during clashes with police in Minsk, Belarus.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/Copyright 2020 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"askew","title":"Joshua Askew","twitter":"@jweaskew"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus politics"},{"id":11326,"slug":"discrimination","urlSafeValue":"discrimination","title":"Discrimination","titleRaw":"Discrimination"},{"id":25462,"slug":"belarus-dissidents","urlSafeValue":"belarus-dissidents","title":"belarus-dissidents","titleRaw":"belarus-dissidents"}],"related":[{"id":2235008},{"id":2237684}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":3},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2023\/04\/05\/stupid-dictator-is-europe-turning-its-back-on-belarusian-allies","lastModified":1680712497},{"id":2237572,"cid":7501428,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230331_NWSU_51052999","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_military','gs_politics','gb_death_injury_edu','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecriris_ru'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Belarus seeks nuclear weapons to prepare for conflict with the West, says Lukashenko","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarus seeks nuclear weapons to prepare for conflict with the West","titleListing2":"In his address, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the nation and lawmakers that the West is \"preparing to invade Belarus.\"","leadin":"In his address, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the nation and lawmakers that the West is \"preparing to invade Belarus.\"","summary":"In his address, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the nation and lawmakers that the West is \"preparing to invade Belarus.\"","keySentence":null,"url":"belarus-seeks-nuclear-weapons-to-prepare-for-conflict-with-the-west-says-lukashenko","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country is seeking the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory to prepare for a conflict with Western countries, during his address to the nation and parliament on Friday. \n\nLukashenko, a close Kremlin ally, said Moscow's plans to station tactical nuclear arms in Belarus would help \"safeguard\" the country, which he said was under threat from the West. \n\n\"I intensified, insistently, negotiations with Russian President Putin on the return of nuclear weapons to Belarus. Namely the return of nuclear weapons, which were withdrawn in the 90s under guarantees - no sanctions against those who withdraw, no pressure, no planning of offensives and revolutions. Everything has been trampled, all commitments broken,\" Lukashenko said.\u00a0 \n\n\"Take my word for it, I have never deceived you. They are preparing to invade Belarus, to destroy our country,\" he added. \n\nThe EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday cautioned Belarus about allowing Russia to station tactical nuclear weapons on its territory,\u00a0tweeting: \u201cBelarus hosting Russian nuclear weapons would mean an irresponsible escalation & threat to European security. Belarus can still stop it, it is their choice. The EU stands ready to respond with further sanctions.\u201d \n\nAfter the collapse of the Soviet Union, almost 600 medium- and short-range missiles were withdrawn from Belarusian territory, according to the Belarusian foreign ministry. \n\nPrior to that, the republic hosted a grouping of strategic forces of up to 40,000 people with one of the world's largest arsenals of nuclear weapons. \n\nIn the speech, the Belarusian leader also called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Ukraine war and warned that Russia would be forced to use \"the most terrible weapon\" if it felt threatened. \n\n\"It is impossible to defeat a nuclear power. If the Russian leadership understands that the situation threatens to cause Russia's disintegration, it will use the most terrible weapon. This cannot be allowed,\" he said. \n\nBelarus and Russia have intensified their cooperation since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian military has used its troops and missiles stationed in Belarus, although no Belarusian troops have participated in the fighting.","htmlText":"<p>Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country is seeking the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory to prepare for a conflict with Western countries, during his address to the nation and parliament on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Lukashenko, a close Kremlin ally, said Moscow's plans to station tactical nuclear arms in Belarus would help \"safeguard\" the country, which he said was under threat from the West.<\/p>\n<p>\"I intensified, insistently, negotiations with Russian President Putin on the return of nuclear weapons to Belarus. Namely the return of nuclear weapons, which were withdrawn in the 90s under guarantees - no sanctions against those who withdraw, no pressure, no planning of offensives and revolutions. Everything has been trampled, all commitments broken,\" Lukashenko said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"Take my word for it, I have never deceived you. They are preparing to invade Belarus, to destroy our country,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday cautioned Belarus about allowing Russia to station tactical nuclear weapons on its territory,\u00a0tweeting: \u201cBelarus hosting Russian nuclear weapons would mean an irresponsible escalation & threat to European security. Belarus can still stop it, it is their choice. The EU stands ready to respond with further sanctions.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1639982108612370432\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>After the collapse of the Soviet Union, almost 600 medium- and short-range missiles were withdrawn from Belarusian territory, according to the Belarusian foreign ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to that, the republic hosted a grouping of strategic forces of up to 40,000 people with one of the world's largest arsenals of nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n<p>In the speech, the Belarusian leader also called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Ukraine war and warned that Russia would be forced to use \"the most terrible weapon\" if it felt threatened.<\/p>\n<p>\"It is impossible to defeat a nuclear power. If the Russian leadership understands that the situation threatens to cause Russia's disintegration, it will use the most terrible weapon. This cannot be allowed,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Belarus and Russia have intensified their cooperation since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian military has used its troops and missiles stationed in Belarus, although no Belarusian troops have participated in the fighting.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680260485,"publishedAt":1680265975,"updatedAt":1680701610,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/31\/belarus-seeks-nuclear-weapons-to-prepare-for-conflict-with-the-west-says-lukashenko","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/14\/28\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f9ce3e93-af68-54b8-9fe5-04edf8f95720-7501428.jpg","altText":"In this photo provided by the Belarusian Presidential Press Service, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a state-of-the nation address in Minsk, 31 March 2023","caption":"In this photo provided by the Belarusian Presidential Press Service, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a state-of-the nation address in Minsk, 31 March 2023","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/Belarusian Presidential Press Service","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":3408,"height":2272},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/14\/40\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_3e634acb-e56d-578b-8f6d-360fadda5949-7501440.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/Belarusian Presidential Press Service","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":6632,"slug":"alexander-lukashenko","urlSafeValue":"alexander-lukashenko","title":"Alexander Lukashenko","titleRaw":"Alexander Lukashenko"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":7895,"slug":"nuclear-weapons","urlSafeValue":"nuclear-weapons","title":"Nuclear weapons","titleRaw":"Nuclear weapons"}],"related":[{"id":2215190}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/31\/en\/230331_NWSU_51052999_51057270_75000_152908_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"75000","filesizeBytes":9699685,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/31\/en\/230331_NWSU_51052999_51057270_75000_152908_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"75000","filesizeBytes":14196581,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"hcG8-ZbCkB0"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":{"id":1982,"urlSafeValue":"minsk","title":"Minsk"},"versions":[],"path":"\/2023\/03\/31\/belarus-seeks-nuclear-weapons-to-prepare-for-conflict-with-the-west-says-lukashenko","lastModified":1680701610},{"id":2212384,"cid":7427104,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_politics','neg_zegna_eng','sm_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','neg_facebook_2021','gs_politics_misc','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_business','castrol_negative_uk','gs_tech_computing','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_mobkoi_creed_eng','gs_busfin','gt_negative','gs_business_careers'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"For Belarus' tech workers in exile, Poland's business visa is a vital lifeline to escape repression","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"For Belarus' tech exiles, Poland's business visa is a vital lifeline","titleListing2":"Escaping repression, Poland's business visa is a vital lifeline for Belarus' tech workers in exile","leadin":"Once the talent driving Belarus' burgeoning tech scene, workers who fled Lukashenko's regime have now found a home and career in Poland.","summary":"Once the talent driving Belarus' burgeoning tech scene, workers who fled Lukashenko's regime have now found a home and career in Poland.","keySentence":null,"url":"for-belarus-tech-workers-in-exile-polands-business-visa-is-a-vital-lifeline-to-escape-repr","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Belarus was once the home of an up-and-coming tech industry, centred around an IT park outside Minsk which had its own tax and legal regime. \n\nThe country also boasted excellent scientific universities, like Radioteknik and the Belarus Technical University, a relic of the Soviet times. \n\nA job in tech was seen by locals as a way to earn a relatively high salary in a country where the cost of living was relatively low. \n\nBut two years ago, after an election which was widely condemned as stolen by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko, hundreds of thousands of the country\u2019s best and brightest filed onto the streets to protest back in the spring and summer of 2021. \n\nThese educated professionals often had a liberal international outlook and opposed the regime. They felt that momentum was with them and that their country could finally be free and democratic after decades of rule by the same man. \n\nBut after unspeakably brutal repression from the security forces in the wake of the election, many realised their best chance was to leave the country altogether. *Kirill was one of them. \n\n\"It was morally hard and frightening to be in Belarus, while taking part in actions and reading daily independent newspapers, knowing, that you could be put in jail for your political stance, opinion or simply for wearing [opposition coloured] white-red-white socks,\" he told Euronews Next. \n\nBorn and bred in Minsk, Kirill was a trained programmer and worked as an IT infrastructure admin. He heard about the Business Harbour Visa, which allows Belarusian professionals to work legally in Poland easily and bring close relatives with them. \n\n55,000 Business Harbour Visas \n\nSet up in the space of just a week in 2020, the programme is one way Poland has helped Belarusians fleeing the regime, while filling some of Poland\u2019s 100,000 vacancies for programmers and bringing in almost \u20ac180 million in investments. \n\nIn recent years, Poland has seen political opportunities in being a gateway between eastern and western Europe and has issued 55,000 Business Harbour Visas as well as humanitarian visas to Belarusian opposition activists and election observers, who continue to be targeted by the state security services. \n\nWinning plaudits for military and humanitarian support for Ukraine since Russia\u2019s invasion, the central European country has also been the biggest single supporter of the Belarusian opposition, donating $53.6 million (\u20ac49.9 million) to independent media, civil society and scholarships in 2021, as well as offering humanitarian visas for those such as election observers persecuted by Lukashenko\u2019s security services. \n\nKirill and his wife already spoke some Polish when they moved in 2021 and the neighbouring countries are culturally similar, so it seemed like an obvious choice. But that didn\u2019t make it easy. \n\nMany companies hadn\u2019t heard of his visa programme and didn\u2019t initially take Kirill\u2019s work experience outside of Poland seriously. To make ends meet, he had to take a job installing fibre-optic cables. But eventually, with a Polish company on his CV, he started getting interviews - five in one month. \n\n\"My life has changed for the better since I moved to Poland. There are a lot of possibilities, development and democracy. I am not afraid for my life here,\" he said. \n\nThough Kirill came looking for new jobs, most of the new arrivals to the country have come with companies they were already working for. \n\nWhen western countries introduced sanctions on Belarus after Lukashenko\u2019s crackdown in 2020, and later when Russia invaded Ukraine with Belarus\u2019 cooperation, many of the international companies working with outsourced Belarusian tech workers sprang into action to help relocate them. \n\nIn the two years that the programme has been running, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency has provided services to over 140 companies that have submitted almost 49,000 relocation requests, most of these for Belarusians since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus acted as a launchpad for due to its long border with Ukraine. \n\nThe programme was expanded in 2022 to include people from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova, according to Justyna Orlowska, the Undersecretary for GovTech at the Polish Prime Minister\u2019s Office. \n\nProgrammers earn more than doctors \n\n*Alena, who works in app support, had always wanted to leave Belarus and move to the West, but before the stolen election, her company was only relocating to other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States, a group of former Soviet Republics generally seen as still being in Russia\u2019s economic sphere of influence. \n\nA massive Rammstein fan, she had always dreamed of living in Germany. When Poland introduced the Business Harbour Visa, she was one of the very first to take advantage of the programme and relocate from Belarus to a western country, packing her bags and flying to Wroc\u0142aw in southwestern Poland. \n\n\"The company just took care of the whole procedure, which made my relocation easy. I was not that stressed. The period of adjustment was quite short for me. [I\u2019ve been] here for over a year and still don\u2019t want to go back\". \n\nAnother Belarusian living in Wroc\u0142aw is *Ivan who first came in 2021. Ivan has a Master\u2019s degree in theology but realised he could earn a better living as a scrum master training tech workers to think outside the box. \n\nHe got his visa quickly after showing that he had worked in the tech industry for two years. \n\n\"In Belarus, programmers can earn much more than doctors. Many doctors are switching to become [junior software] testers. I can\u2019t judge them,\" he said, noting that the salary doesn\u2019t go as far in Poland, which has suffered from some of the highest inflation in Europe over the last year. \n\nAt this point, almost his whole family have moved to Wroc\u0142aw. Though he misses home and especially Minsk\u2019s jazz cafes, you can\u2019t put a price on freedom, he says. \n\n*Surnames have been removed at the request of interviewees.","htmlText":"<p>Belarus was once the home of an up-and-coming tech industry, centred around an IT park outside Minsk which had its own tax and legal regime.<\/p>\n<p>The country also boasted excellent scientific universities, like Radioteknik and the Belarus Technical University, a relic of the Soviet times.<\/p>\n<p>A job in tech was seen by locals as a way to earn a relatively high salary in a country where the cost of living was relatively low.<\/p>\n<p>But two years ago, after an election which was widely condemned as stolen by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko, hundreds of thousands of the country\u2019s best and brightest filed onto the streets to protest back in the spring and summer of 2021.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7370634\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2023//02//03//polands-reverse-brain-drain-meet-the-poles-returning-home-to-work-in-its-booming-tech-sect/">Poland's reverse brain drain: Meet the Poles returning home to work in its booming tech sector<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>These educated professionals often had a liberal international outlook and opposed the regime. They felt that momentum was with them and that their country could finally be free and democratic after decades of rule by the same man.<\/p>\n<p>But after unspeakably brutal repression from the security forces in the wake of the election, many realised their best chance was to leave the country altogether. *Kirill was one of them.<\/p>\n<p>\"It was morally hard and frightening to be in Belarus, while taking part in actions and reading daily independent newspapers, knowing, that you could be put in jail for your political stance, opinion or simply for wearing [opposition coloured] white-red-white socks,\" he told Euronews Next.<\/p>\n<p>Born and bred in Minsk, Kirill was a trained programmer and worked as an IT infrastructure admin. He heard about the Business Harbour Visa, which allows Belarusian professionals to work legally in Poland easily and bring close relatives with them.<\/p>\n<h2>55,000 Business Harbour Visas<\/h2><p>Set up in the space of just a week in 2020, the programme is one way Poland has helped Belarusians fleeing the regime, while filling some of Poland\u2019s 100,000 vacancies for programmers and bringing in almost \u20ac180 million in investments.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-medium\n widget--align-right\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">It was morally hard and frightening to be in Belarus, while taking part in actions and reading daily independent newspapers, knowing, that you could be put in jail for your political stance, opinion or simply for wearing [opposition coloured] white-red-white socks<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n *Kirill\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n Exiled Belarusian tech worker\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In recent years, Poland has seen political opportunities in being a gateway between eastern and western Europe and has issued 55,000 Business Harbour Visas as well as humanitarian visas to Belarusian opposition activists and election observers, who continue to be targeted by the state security services.<\/p>\n<p>Winning plaudits for military and humanitarian support for Ukraine since Russia\u2019s invasion, the central European country has also been the biggest single supporter of the Belarusian opposition, donating $53.6 million (\u20ac49.9 million) to independent media, civil society and scholarships in 2021, as well as offering humanitarian visas for those such as election observers persecuted by Lukashenko\u2019s security services.<\/p>\n<p>Kirill and his wife already spoke some Polish when they moved in 2021 and the neighbouring countries are culturally similar, so it seemed like an obvious choice. But that didn\u2019t make it easy.<\/p>\n<p>Many companies hadn\u2019t heard of his visa programme and didn\u2019t initially take Kirill\u2019s work experience outside of Poland seriously. To make ends meet, he had to take a job installing fibre-optic cables. But eventually, with a Polish company on his CV, he started getting interviews - five in one month.<\/p>\n<p>\"My life has changed for the better since I moved to Poland. There are a lot of possibilities, development and democracy. I am not afraid for my life here,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Though Kirill came looking for new jobs, most of the new arrivals to the country have come with companies they were already working for.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.578125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//42//71//04//808x467_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg/" alt=\"Czarek Sokolowski/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/384x222_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/640x370_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/750x434_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/828x479_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/1080x624_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/1200x694_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/1920x1110_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">An image of imprisoned Polish minority activist in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut, is projected on the landmark Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Czarek Sokolowski/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>When western countries introduced sanctions on Belarus after Lukashenko\u2019s crackdown in 2020, and later when Russia invaded Ukraine with Belarus\u2019 cooperation, many of the international companies working with outsourced Belarusian tech workers sprang into action to help relocate them.<\/p>\n<p>In the two years that the programme has been running, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency has provided services to over 140 companies that have submitted almost 49,000 relocation requests, most of these for Belarusians since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus acted as a launchpad for due to its long border with Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>The programme was expanded in 2022 to include people from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova, according to Justyna Orlowska, the Undersecretary for GovTech at the Polish Prime Minister\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7393956\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2023//02//12//no-bosses-unlimited-holidays-same-pay-for-less-work-the-berlin-start-ups-putting-workers-f/">No bosses, unlimited holidays, same pay for less work: The Berlin start-ups putting workers first<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Programmers earn more than doctors<\/h2><p>*Alena, who works in app support, had always wanted to leave Belarus and move to the West, but before the stolen election, her company was only relocating to other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States, a group of former Soviet Republics generally seen as still being in Russia\u2019s economic sphere of influence.<\/p>\n<p>A massive Rammstein fan, she had always dreamed of living in Germany. When Poland introduced the Business Harbour Visa, she was one of the very first to take advantage of the programme and relocate from Belarus to a western country, packing her bags and flying to Wroc\u0142aw in southwestern Poland.<\/p>\n<p>\"The company just took care of the whole procedure, which made my relocation easy. I was not that stressed. The period of adjustment was quite short for me. [I\u2019ve been] here for over a year and still don\u2019t want to go back\".<\/p>\n<p>Another Belarusian living in Wroc\u0142aw is *Ivan who first came in 2021. Ivan has a Master\u2019s degree in theology but realised he could earn a better living as a scrum master training tech workers to think outside the box.<\/p>\n<p>He got his visa quickly after showing that he had worked in the tech industry for two years.<\/p>\n<p>\"In Belarus, programmers can earn much more than doctors. Many doctors are switching to become [junior software] testers. I can\u2019t judge them,\" he said, noting that the salary doesn\u2019t go as far in Poland, which has suffered from some of the highest inflation in Europe over the last year.<\/p>\n<p>At this point, almost his whole family have moved to Wroc\u0142aw. Though he misses home and especially Minsk\u2019s jazz cafes, you can\u2019t put a price on freedom, he says.<\/p>\n<p><em>*Surnames have been removed at the request of interviewees.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1677319840,"publishedAt":1679227922,"updatedAt":1679227954,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2023\/03\/19\/for-belarus-tech-workers-in-exile-polands-business-visa-is-a-vital-lifeline-to-escape-repr","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_46fa6078-18f5-55e0-9f76-a53b7d4add06-7427104.jpg","altText":"Demonstrators carry a huge historical flag of Belarus as thousands gather for a protest at the Independence square in Minsk, Belarus.","caption":"Demonstrators carry a huge historical flag of Belarus as thousands gather for a protest at the Independence square in Minsk, Belarus.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Dmitri Lovetsky\/AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":932},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/71\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_691ac8ca-2fda-5231-aad7-882a8ad26f5a-7427104.jpg","altText":"An image of imprisoned Polish minority activist in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut, is projected on the landmark Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.","caption":"An image of imprisoned Polish minority activist in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut, is projected on the landmark Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Czarek 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Lukashenko"}],"related":[{"id":2227506},{"id":2226536}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"quotation","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":2}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"James Jackson","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"work","urlSafeValue":"work","title":"Work","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/work\/work"},"vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"work","urlSafeValue":"work","title":"Work","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/work"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":42,"urlSafeValue":"work","title":"Work"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/next\/2023\/03\/19\/for-belarus-tech-workers-in-exile-polands-business-visa-is-a-vital-lifeline-to-escape-repr","lastModified":1679227954},{"id":2218896,"cid":7445780,"versionId":11,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230306_NWSU_50699344","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gt_mixed','gs_law','gs_law_misc','gt_negative_dislike','gv_crime','gt_negative_anger','gs_genres','gs_genres_mystery','gt_positive_curiosity','gt_positive_surprise'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya sentenced to 15 years in prison","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Court in Minsk sentenced Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison","titleListing2":"Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya sentenced to 15 years in prison","leadin":"Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya sentenced to 15 years in prison","summary":"Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya sentenced to 15 years in prison","keySentence":null,"url":"exilied-belarusian-opposition-leader-svetlana-tikhanovskaya-sentenced-to-15-years-in-priso","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A Belarusian court has sentenced the country's leading opposition figure,\u00a0Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who lives in exile, to 15 years in prison. \n\nAccording to the state news agency, Belta, and the human rights organisation, Viasna, another prominent opponent, Pavel Latushko, was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Three other people were sentenced to 12 years in prison. \n\nTikhanovskaya responded quickly, vowing to continue her struggle and political activities. She labelled the trial a \"farce\". \n\n\"Today I don't think about my own sentence. I am thinking of thousands of innocents, detained and those sentenced to real prison terms,\" she said on Twitter. \"I will not stop until each of them is released.\" \n\nTsikhanouskaya\u00a0was charged with 12 crimes, including \"conspiracy to take power unconstitutionally. \n\nIncreasing crackdown on opposition \n\nThe new sentences come against a backdrop of accelerated repression in Belarus, a former Soviet republic ruled with an iron fist for three decades by Alexander Lukashenko. \n\nOn Friday, activist Ales Bialiatski, co-winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize and a leading figure in the Belarusian democracy movement, was sentenced to 10 years in prison . Unlike Ms Tikhanovskaya, he is still in Belarus, where he has been imprisoned since 2021. \n\nTsikhanouskaya\u00a0originally shot to prominence after running in Belarus' disputed presidential election in 2020, which was marred by massive fraud according to observers.\u00a0 \n\nA series of mass protests followed, which was met\u00a0with thousands of arrests, cases of torture, the death of several demonstrators, harsh sentences and forced exile. \n\nAccording to Viasna, Belarus had 1,461 political prisoners as of 1 March 2023.\u00a0 \n\nThe West has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Minsk for its crackdown on the 2020 protests, but the regime still enjoys unwavering support from Moscow. \n\nBelarus agreed to serve as a staging ground for Russian troops to attack Ukraine in February 2022, however, the Belarusian army has so far taken no direct part in the fighting.","htmlText":"<p>A Belarusian court has sentenced the country's leading opposition figure,\u00a0Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who lives in exile, to 15 years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>According to the state news agency, Belta, and the human rights organisation, Viasna, another prominent opponent, Pavel Latushko, was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Three other people were sentenced to 12 years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>Tikhanovskaya responded quickly, vowing to continue her struggle and political activities. She labelled the trial a \"farce\".<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1632725847651041280\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"Today I don't think about my own sentence. I am thinking of thousands of innocents, detained and those sentenced to real prison terms,\" she said on Twitter. \"I will not stop until each of them is released.\"<\/p>\n<p>Tsikhanouskaya\u00a0was charged with 12 crimes, including \"conspiracy to take power unconstitutionally.<\/p>\n<h2>Increasing crackdown on opposition<\/h2><p>The new sentences come against a backdrop of accelerated repression in Belarus, a former Soviet republic ruled with an iron fist for three decades by Alexander Lukashenko.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, activist Ales Bialiatski, co-winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize and a leading figure in the Belarusian democracy movement, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//03//belarusian-nobel-prize-winner-bialiatski-sentenced-to-10-years-in-jail/">was sentenced to 10 years in prison<\/a>. Unlike Ms Tikhanovskaya, he is still in Belarus, where he has been imprisoned since 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Tsikhanouskaya\u00a0originally shot to prominence after running in Belarus' disputed presidential election in 2020, which was marred by massive fraud according to observers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.59375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//44//57//80//808x481_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg/" alt=\"AP/TUT.BY\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/57\/80\/384x228_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/57\/80\/640x380_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/57\/80\/750x445_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/57\/80\/828x492_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/57\/80\/1080x641_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/57\/80\/1200x713_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/57\/80\/1920x1140_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Protesters march during an opposition rally in Minsk, Belarus, 13 September, 2020<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP/TUT.BY<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A series of mass protests followed, which was met\u00a0with thousands of arrests, cases of torture, the death of several demonstrators, harsh sentences and forced exile.<\/p>\n<p>According to Viasna, Belarus had 1,461 political prisoners as of 1 March 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The West has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Minsk for its crackdown on the 2020 protests, but the regime still enjoys unwavering support from Moscow.<\/p>\n<p>Belarus agreed to serve as a staging ground for Russian troops to attack Ukraine in February 2022, however, the Belarusian army has so far taken no direct part in the fighting.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1678108485,"publishedAt":1678109279,"updatedAt":1678635323,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/06\/exilied-belarusian-opposition-leader-svetlana-tikhanovskaya-sentenced-to-15-years-in-priso","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/24\/39\/48\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a961c37b-51be-5c47-8dee-802580689268-7243948.jpg","altText":"Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya arrives at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany, 26 April, 2022","caption":"Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya arrives at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany, 26 April, 2022","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Bernd von Jutrczenka\/(c) Copyright 2022, dpa (www.dpa.de). Alle Rechte vorbehalten","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":685},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/57\/80\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a8c44273-dce6-5146-ad4c-805ec02b2d32-7445780.jpg","altText":"Protesters march during an opposition supporters rally in Minsk, Belarus, 13 September, 2020","caption":"Protesters march during an opposition supporters rally in Minsk, Belarus, 13 September, 2020","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/TUT.BY","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":608},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/04\/63\/01\/94\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c6a92aeb-53b9-5d78-a5d4-933b2961183c-4630194.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":11940,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"news","titleRaw":"news"},{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus 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Nobel Prize winner Bialiatski sentenced to 10 years in jail","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarusian Nobel Prize winner Bialiatski sentenced to 10 years in jail","titleListing2":"Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 2022 and has now been sentenced to 10 years in jail by authorities.","leadin":"Human rights activist Ales Bialiatski was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 2022.","summary":"Human rights activist Ales Bialiatski was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 2022.","keySentence":null,"url":"belarusian-nobel-prize-winner-bialiatski-sentenced-to-10-years-in-jail","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize-winning pro-democracy activist Ales Bialiatski has been sentenced to 10 years in jail, according to hi rights group Viasna. \n\nThe 10-year prison sentence has been denounced as a \"shameful injustice\" by the main opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya . \n\n\"Ales has dedicated his life to fighting against tyranny. He is a true hero of Belarus & will be honored long after the dictator is forgotten,\" she said. \n\nBialiatski was sentenced alongside fellow human rights activists Valiantsin Stefanovic who received a nine-year jail term, and Uladzimir Labkovich who got a seven-year sentence.\u00a0 \n\nEuropean Commission reaction \n\nA European Commission spokesperson told Euronews they condemn the prison sentences for the activists, and plan to issue a statement later Friday.\u00a0 \n\n\"We are watching and following very closely what is going on in Belarus and all the continued repression by the illegitimate Lukashenko regime against political opponents, against independent voices, against civil society activists, human rights defenders and media,\" a spokesman said.\u00a0 \n\n\"We are supporting the civil society in Belarus. We are supporting people of Belarus.\"\u00a0 \n\nWho is Ales Bialiatski? \n\nAles Bialiatski was one of the leaders of the democracy movement in Belarus in the mid-1980s and has continued to campaign for human rights and civil liberties in the authoritarian country. He founded the non-governmental organization Human Rights Center Viasna and won the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes referred to as the \u201cAlternative Nobel,\u201d in 2020. \n\nBialiatski was detained following protests that year against the re-election of Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin. \n\nWhen he was awarded the Peace Prize in 2022, the Nobel Committee said that \"despite tremendous personal hardship, Mr Bialiatski has not yielded one inch in his fight for human rights and democracy in Belarus,\" and called on Belarusian authorities to release him.\u00a0 \n\nThe Nobel Committee also said at the time they were aware of the possibility that by awarding Bialiatski the prize, he might face additional scrutiny from authorities in Belarus.","htmlText":"<p>Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize-winning pro-democracy activist Ales Bialiatski has been sentenced to 10 years in jail, according to hi rights group Viasna.<\/p>\n<p>The 10-year prison sentence has been denounced as a \"shameful injustice\" by the main opposition leader <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//Tsihanouskaya/">Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\"Ales has dedicated his life to fighting against tyranny. He is a true hero of Belarus & will be honored long after the dictator is forgotten,\" she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1631587135105949698\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Bialiatski was sentenced alongside fellow human rights activists Valiantsin Stefanovic who received a nine-year jail term, and Uladzimir Labkovich who got a seven-year sentence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>European Commission reaction<\/h2><p>A European Commission spokesperson told Euronews they condemn the prison sentences for the activists, and plan to issue a statement later Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"We are watching and following very closely what is going on in Belarus and all the continued repression by the illegitimate Lukashenko regime against political opponents, against independent voices, against civil society activists, human rights defenders and media,\" a spokesman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"We are supporting the civil society in Belarus. We are supporting people of Belarus.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1631628239486480385\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Who is Ales Bialiatski?<\/h2><p>Ales Bialiatski was one of the leaders of the democracy movement in Belarus in the mid-1980s and has continued to campaign for human rights and civil liberties in the authoritarian country. He founded the non-governmental organization Human Rights Center Viasna and won the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes referred to as the \u201cAlternative Nobel,\u201d in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Bialiatski was detained following protests that year against the re-election of Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin.<\/p>\n<p>When he was awarded the Peace Prize in 2022, the Nobel Committee said that \"despite tremendous personal hardship, Mr Bialiatski has not yielded one inch in his fight for human rights and democracy in Belarus,\" and called on Belarusian authorities to release him.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Nobel Committee also said at the time they were aware of the possibility that by awarding Bialiatski the prize, he might face additional scrutiny from authorities in Belarus.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1677836701,"publishedAt":1677837050,"updatedAt":1677856148,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/03\/belarusian-nobel-prize-winner-bialiatski-sentenced-to-10-years-in-jail","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/01\/66\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0d325b2c-200b-5d94-af08-450b454c8626-7440166.jpg","altText":" Bialiatski","caption":" Bialiatski","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Vitaly Pivovarchyk\/BelTA","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":3160,"height":2252}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":25462,"slug":"belarus-dissidents","urlSafeValue":"belarus-dissidents","title":"belarus-dissidents","titleRaw":"belarus-dissidents"},{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus 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of Belarusian journalist grabbed in flight 'hijacking' begins","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Trial of Belarusian journalist grabbed in flight 'hijacking' begins","titleListing2":"Trial of Belarusian journalist grabbed in flight 'hijacking' begins","leadin":"A Belarusian court on Thursday opened the trial of a dissident journalist, Rom\u00e1n Protas\u00e9vich, who is accused of organizing mass unrest and engaging in plots to overthrow the government, among other charges.","summary":"A Belarusian court on Thursday opened the trial of a dissident journalist, Rom\u00e1n Protas\u00e9vich, who is accused of organizing mass unrest and engaging in plots to overthrow the government, among other charges.","keySentence":null,"url":"trail-of-belarusian-journalist-grabbed-in-flight-hijacking-begins","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A Belarusian court has opened the trial of dissident journalist Rom\u00e1n Protas\u00e9vich who is\u00a0accused of organizing mass unrest and engaging in plots to overthrow the government, among other charges. \n\nHe was detained in May 2021 when Belarussian jets forced a Ryanair flight he was on from Greece to Lithuania to land in Minsk.\u00a0 \n\nProtas\u00e9vich was arrested on landing and pleaded guilty soon afterwards in a video broadcast on state TV. His family and various experts believe this was done under duress. \n\nProtas\u00e9vich's Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, who was arrested along with him, was sentenced last year to six years in prison on charges of inciting social hatred. \n\nThe US and the EU have denounced the flight's diversion as a \"hijacking\" and responded by introducing painful sanctions against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's government. \n\nProtas\u00e9vich founded and ran the popular 'Nexta' channel on the Telegram messaging app, which was\u00a0widely used by participants in mass protests in Belarus against the re-election of President\u00a0Lukashenko in 2020.\u00a0 \n\nProtas\u00e9vich faces charges alongside two former Nexta colleagues who are abroad and will be tried in absentia.\u00a0If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.","htmlText":"<p>A Belarusian court has opened the trial of dissident journalist Rom\u00e1n Protas\u00e9vich who is\u00a0accused of organizing mass unrest and engaging in plots to overthrow the government, among other charges.<\/p>\n<p>He was detained in May 2021 when Belarussian jets forced a Ryanair flight he was on from Greece to Lithuania to land in Minsk.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Protas\u00e9vich was arrested on landing and pleaded guilty soon afterwards in a video broadcast on state TV. His family and various experts believe this was done under duress.<\/p>\n<p>Protas\u00e9vich's Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, who was arrested along with him, was sentenced last year to six years in prison on charges of inciting social hatred.<\/p>\n<p>The US and the EU have denounced the flight's diversion as a \"hijacking\" and responded by introducing painful sanctions against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's government.<\/p>\n<p>Protas\u00e9vich founded and ran the popular 'Nexta' channel on the Telegram messaging app, which was\u00a0widely used by participants in mass protests in Belarus against the re-election of President\u00a0Lukashenko in 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Protas\u00e9vich faces charges alongside two former Nexta colleagues who are abroad and will be tried in absentia.\u00a0If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1676555385,"publishedAt":1676569845,"updatedAt":1676570200,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/02\/16\/trail-of-belarusian-journalist-grabbed-in-flight-hijacking-begins","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/40\/68\/96\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b798b485-8a00-54a2-8293-100335d80240-7406896.jpg","altText":"Belarus police arrest journalist Raman Pratasevich, center, in Minsk, Belarus 26 March, 2017","caption":"Belarus police arrest journalist Raman Pratasevich, center, in Minsk, Belarus 26 March, 2017","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sergei Grits\/Copyright 2017 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":753}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":6632,"slug":"alexander-lukashenko","urlSafeValue":"alexander-lukashenko","title":"Alexander Lukashenko","titleRaw":"Alexander Lukashenko"},{"id":10171,"slug":"censorship","urlSafeValue":"censorship","title":"Censorship","titleRaw":"Censorship"}],"related":[{"id":1548084},{"id":2209524}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/02\/16\/en\/230216_NWSU_50449589_50449629_66840_180439_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"66840","filesizeBytes":8542042,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/02\/16\/en\/230216_NWSU_50449589_50449629_66840_180439_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"66840","filesizeBytes":13074778,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8icyd7","youtubeId":"obk5zpnYKp4"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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detains anti-Lukashenko former presidential candidate","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarus detains anti-Lukashenko former presidential candidate","titleListing2":"Andrey Dzmitryeu, 41, who stood against long-time leader Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election, has been detained in Minsk.","leadin":"Andrey Dzmitryeu, 41, who stood against long-time leader Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election, has been detained in Minsk.","summary":"Andrey Dzmitryeu, 41, who stood against long-time leader Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election, has been detained in Minsk.","keySentence":null,"url":"belarus-detains-anti-lukashenko-former-presidential-candidate","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"An opposition politician who stood against long-time Belarus strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko in the controversial 2020 presidential election has been detained in the capital Minsk, his team said. \n\nAndrey Dzmitryeu, 41, is a campaigner and vocal critic of the Belarusian president, who currently co-chairs the anti-Minsk regime Tell the Truth party.\u00a0 \n\nHe was detained on Wednesday, according to a message posted on his Facebook page.\u00a0 The reason for his custody was not yet known, it added. \n\nBelarus authorities have not yet commented on the detention. \n\nLukashenko, the country\u2019s first and only president since the office was established in 1994, claimed victory in the 2020 election, which was marred by allegations of voter fraud and repression of opposition forces. \n\nUpon announcing his victory over leading opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets in protest, urging Lukashenko to step aside. \n\nDzmitryeu came fourth in the election with 1.2% of votes cast, the official results showed. \n\nLukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, violently suppressed the protests and has since used draconian means to silence domestic political opposition. \n\nPutin has since used Belarus as a launching pad for his late February full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while Lukashenko has been said to have been mulling entering the war on the side of Moscow since then. \n\nRights groups estimate there are about 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus \u2014 ranked as Europe\u2019s worst authoritarian regime \u2014 due to the crackdown.","htmlText":"<p>An opposition politician who stood against long-time Belarus strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko in the controversial 2020 presidential election has been detained in the capital Minsk, his team said.<\/p>\n<p>Andrey Dzmitryeu, 41, is a campaigner and vocal critic of the Belarusian president, who currently co-chairs the anti-Minsk regime Tell the Truth party.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He was detained on Wednesday, according to a message posted on his Facebook page.\u00a0The reason for his custody was not yet known, it added.<\/p>\n<p>Belarus authorities have not yet commented on the detention.<\/p>\n<p>Lukashenko, the country\u2019s first and only president since the office was established in 1994, claimed victory in the 2020 election, which was marred by allegations of voter fraud and repression of opposition forces.<\/p>\n<p>Upon announcing his victory over leading opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets in protest, urging Lukashenko to step aside.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6922842,6517042\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//03//03//we-re-trying-to-stop-belarusian-troops-fighting-in-ukraine-says-opposition-leader-tsikhano/">We're trying to stop Belarusian troops fighting in Ukraine, says opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//08//09//two-years-after-belarus-election-torch-of-freedom-still-burning-says-tsikhanouskaya/">Two years after Belarus election, 'torch of freedom' still burning, says Tsikhanouskaya<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Dzmitryeu came fourth in the election with 1.2% of votes cast, the official results showed.<\/p>\n<p>Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, violently suppressed the protests and has since used draconian means to silence domestic political opposition.<\/p>\n<p>Putin has since used Belarus as a launching pad for his late February full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while Lukashenko has been said to have been mulling entering the war on the side of Moscow since then.<\/p>\n<p>Rights groups estimate there are about 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus \u2014 ranked as Europe\u2019s worst authoritarian regime \u2014 due to the crackdown.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1673510203,"publishedAt":1673511277,"updatedAt":1673527790,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/01\/12\/belarus-detains-anti-lukashenko-former-presidential-candidate","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/30\/21\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ee18f6b0-e600-52d4-8c5d-bd231a73e0ba-7302142.jpg","altText":"Andrei Dmitriev, 2020","caption":"Andrei Dmitriev, 2020","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Wikimedia Commons, \u0411\u0435\u043b\u0430\u044f \u041c\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0430","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":1280}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus politics"},{"id":23848,"slug":"2020-belarusian-presidential-election","urlSafeValue":"2020-belarusian-presidential-election","title":"2020 Belarusian presidential election","titleRaw":"2020 Belarusian presidential election"},{"id":6632,"slug":"alexander-lukashenko","urlSafeValue":"alexander-lukashenko","title":"Alexander Lukashenko","titleRaw":"Alexander Lukashenko"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Reuters","additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2023\/01\/12\/belarus-detains-anti-lukashenko-former-presidential-candidate","lastModified":1673527790},{"id":2161176,"cid":7275214,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221229_NWSU_49735925","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_military','gs_war_conflict','gs_politics','gb_death_injury_news-ent'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Belarus claims it shot down a Ukrainian missile which entered its airspace","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarus claims to intercept Ukrainian missile after entering airspace","titleListing2":"Belarus claims it shot down a Ukrainian missile which entered its airspace","leadin":"The incident occurred Thursday morning between 10:00 and 11:00 local time. Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko was promptly notified about what happened. Minsk says it will not be making any further comment until a full assessment has been made.","summary":"The incident occurred Thursday morning between 10:00 and 11:00 local time. Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko was promptly notified about what happened. Minsk says it will not be making any further comment until a full assessment has been made.","keySentence":null,"url":"ukrainian-missile-lands-in-belarus-according-to-belarusian-media","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A Ukrainian missile was intercepted by Belarus's air defence, shortly after it strayed into the country\u2019s airspace \u2013 an assessment by Belarus' Air defence battalion concluded on Thursday. \n\nThe incident occurred between 10:00 and 11:00 local time near the small village of Gorbakha. Fragments of the vessel fell just 66 metres from a private home. No casualties were recorded. \n\nSpeaking to Belarusian media outlet BelTA, residents of\u00a0Gorbakha were shaken by the noise of the explosion.\u00a0 \n\nOne local told reporters \u201cI ran outside and heard [a] massive noise. I thought aircraft were flying. I thought it was war.\u201d\u00a0 \n\nAuthorities investigating the event probed two possible considerations. The first was whether the missile was a stray missile, similar to the one which exploded along the Polish side of the Poland-Ukraine border. The second was whether Belarus' air defence shot down the missile. Minsk evaluated that the latter was the more likely outcome. \n\n\"The situation is similar to the one that happened quite recently with the hit of the same rocket on the territory of Poland. Residents have absolutely nothing to worry about,\" Oleg Konovalov military commissar of the Brest region told reporters.","htmlText":"<p>A Ukrainian missile was intercepted by Belarus's air defence, shortly after it strayed into the country\u2019s airspace \u2013 an assessment by Belarus' Air defence battalion concluded on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The incident occurred between 10:00 and 11:00 local time near the small village of Gorbakha. Fragments of the vessel fell just 66 metres from a private home. No casualties were recorded.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Belarusian media outlet BelTA, residents of\u00a0Gorbakha were shaken by the noise of the explosion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One local told reporters \u201cI ran outside and heard [a] massive noise. I thought aircraft were flying. I thought it was war.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1608423171782512642\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Authorities investigating the event probed two possible considerations. The first was whether the missile was a stray missile, similar to the one which exploded along the Polish side of the Poland-Ukraine border. The second was whether Belarus' air defence shot down the missile. Minsk evaluated that the latter was the more likely outcome.<\/p>\n<p>\"The situation is similar to the one that happened quite recently with the hit of the same rocket on the territory of Poland. Residents have absolutely nothing to worry about,\" Oleg Konovalov military commissar of the Brest region told reporters.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1672315386,"publishedAt":1672317869,"updatedAt":1672336659,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/12\/29\/ukrainian-missile-lands-in-belarus-according-to-belarusian-media","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/27\/52\/30\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c2df00b5-3a6d-5518-a4f8-7020dd20b26a-7275230.jpg","altText":"The alleged Ukrainian missile which fell along Belarusian territory","caption":"The alleged Ukrainian missile which fell along Belarusian territory","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"\u00a9 Telegram\/@belarusian_silovik","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1200,"height":675}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":288,"slug":"ukraine","urlSafeValue":"ukraine","title":"Ukraine","titleRaw":"Ukraine"},{"id":26698,"slug":"russia-ukraine-invasion","urlSafeValue":"russia-ukraine-invasion","title":"Russia-Ukraine invasion","titleRaw":"Russia-Ukraine invasion"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"Ukraine war","titleRaw":"Ukraine war"}],"related":[{"id":2160878}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/12\/29\/en\/221229_NWSU_49735925_49736014_65000_180525_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"65000","filesizeBytes":8642892,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/12\/29\/en\/221229_NWSU_49735925_49736014_65000_180525_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"65000","filesizeBytes":13306700,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8gqtbp","youtubeId":"mdUPd_D5_HU"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/12\/29\/ukrainian-missile-lands-in-belarus-according-to-belarusian-media","lastModified":1672336659},{"id":2137086,"cid":7221220,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221129_NWSU_49317835","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gs_politics','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_facebook_2021','gs_politics_issues_policy','gb_crime_edu','sm_politics','gs_politics_misc','gs_law','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gs_politics_elections','neg_facebook','gv_crime','gt_negative','gs_politics_american'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Belarus political prisoner Maria Kolesnikova in intensive care - opposition","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarus political prisoner Maria Kolesnikova in intensive care unit","titleListing2":"Maria Kolesnikova, a Belarusian opposition politician who was jailed last year, has been moved to intensive care.","leadin":"Kolesnikova was sentenced to 11 years in prison last year.","summary":"Kolesnikova was sentenced to 11 years in prison last year.","keySentence":null,"url":"belarus-political-prisoner-maria-kolesnikova-in-intensive-care-opposition","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Belarus political prisoner Maria Kolesnikova has been hospitalised in an intensive care unit, according to the Telegram channel of another opposition politician. \n\nThe political activist was first hospitalised in the city of Gomel yesterday, and her lawyer has not been able to see her, former presidential candidate Viktor Babariko said on Telegram. \n\nKolesnikova, who was a key figure in the opposition presidential campaign against Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko in 2020, was sentenced to 11 years in prison last year. \n\nShe previously worked with the campaign of Babariko, who was stopped from registering after being arrested on charges of bribery. \n\nKolesnikova had faced charges of harming national security when she was detained in September 2020 after resisting authorities' attempt to force her into exile. \n\nBelarus' opposition leader\u00a0Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that the news about Kolesnikova was \"extremely worrying\". \n\n\"Maria Kalesnikava has been hospitalised in intensive care for unknown reasons,\" Tsikhanouskaya tweeted. \n\n\"Her lawyer has not been allowed to see her. Recently she was placed in a punishment cell. We need information about her condition & must assure that she gets proper help.\" \n\nBabariko said that Kolesnikova's lawyer was not allowed to see her for \"the third time in a row\" on Tuesday. \n\nAlong with\u00a0Tsikhanouskaya and\u00a0Veronika Tsepkalo, Kolesnikova was one of the three women leading the movement to beat Lukashenko during the August 9, 2020, presidential election. \n\nThe election, which Lukashenko claimed he won, led to a series of mass protests in the country that authorities responded to with a violent crackdown.","htmlText":"<p>Belarus political prisoner Maria Kolesnikova has been hospitalised in an intensive care unit, according to the Telegram channel of another opposition politician.<\/p>\n<p>The political activist was first hospitalised in the city of Gomel yesterday, and her lawyer has not been able to see her, former presidential candidate Viktor Babariko said on Telegram.<\/p>\n<p>Kolesnikova, who was a key figure in the opposition presidential campaign against Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko in 2020, was sentenced to <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//09//06//belarusian-political-activist-maria-kolesnikova-given-11-year-jail-term-say-opposition-fig/">11 years in prison<\/strong><\/a> last year.<\/p>\n<p>She previously worked with the campaign of Babariko, who was stopped from registering after being arrested on charges of bribery.<\/p>\n<p>Kolesnikova had faced <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2020//09//16//maria-kolesnikova-charged-with-causing-harm-to-belarusian-national-security/">charges of harming national security<\/strong><\/a> when she was detained in September 2020 after resisting authorities' attempt to force her into exile.<\/p>\n<p>Belarus' opposition leader\u00a0Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that the news about Kolesnikova was \"extremely worrying\".<\/p>\n<p>\"Maria Kalesnikava has been hospitalised in intensive care for unknown reasons,\" Tsikhanouskaya tweeted.<\/p>\n<p>\"Her lawyer has not been allowed to see her. Recently she was placed in a punishment cell. We need information about her condition & must assure that she gets proper help.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1597630511337607168\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Babariko said that Kolesnikova's lawyer was not allowed to see her for \"the third time in a row\" on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Along with\u00a0Tsikhanouskaya and\u00a0Veronika Tsepkalo, Kolesnikova was <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2020//07//31//belarus-presidential-elections-meet-the-three-women-teaming-up-to-take-on-europe-s-last-di/">one of the three women<\/strong><\/a> leading the movement to beat Lukashenko during the August 9, 2020, presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>The election, which Lukashenko claimed he won, led to a series of mass protests in the country that authorities responded to with a violent crackdown.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1669742444,"publishedAt":1669744256,"updatedAt":1669744261,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/29\/belarus-political-prisoner-maria-kolesnikova-in-intensive-care-opposition","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/22\/12\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f4d3daff-2270-587f-a983-2b66a7b19e0f-7221220.jpg","altText":"Belarus' opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova attends a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021.","caption":"Belarus' opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova attends a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Ramil Nasibulin\/BelTA pool photo via AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":10563,"slug":"belarus-politics","urlSafeValue":"belarus-politics","title":"Belarus politics","titleRaw":"Belarus politics"},{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":24046,"slug":"maria-kolesnikova","urlSafeValue":"maria-kolesnikova","title":"Maria Kolesnikova","titleRaw":"Maria Kolesnikova"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/11\/29\/en\/221129_NWSU_49317835_49318736_35000_191855_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"35000","filesizeBytes":4460352,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/11\/29\/en\/221129_NWSU_49317835_49318736_35000_191855_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":"35000","filesizeBytes":6923072,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8fxbff","youtubeId":"41zZfdXhEIE"},"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/11\/29\/belarus-political-prisoner-maria-kolesnikova-in-intensive-care-opposition","lastModified":1669744261},{"id":2135092,"cid":7216520,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221127_NWSU_49282620","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_politics','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','neg_ukraine_russia_war','shadow9hu7_pos_ukraine-russia','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','neg_facebook_2021','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gt_negative','sm_politics','neg_intel_mobkoi','neg_mobkoi_creed_eng','neg_mobkoi_new','gb_sensitive_serious','gv_death_injury','gs_busfin_indus_defense','gs_busfin','gs_politics_elections','gv_military','gt_negative_sadness','gs_busfin_indus'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Russia's Lavrov postpones Belarus visit after sudden death of foreign minister Vladimir Makei","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Lavrov postpones Belarus visit after sudden death of foreign minister","titleListing2":"Russia's Lavrov postpones #Belarus visit after sudden death of foreign minister #VladimirMakei","leadin":"Belarus state media reported on Saturday that Vladimir Makei, long-standing foreign minister and associate of leader Alexander Lukashenko, had died suddenly.","summary":"Belarus state media reported on Saturday that Vladimir Makei, long-standing foreign minister and associate of leader Alexander Lukashenko, had died suddenly.","keySentence":null,"url":"russias-lavrov-postpones-belarus-visit-after-sudden-death-of-foreign-minister-vladimir-mak","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has postponed a planned visit to Minsk following the death of his Belarusian counterpart\u00a0Vladimir Makei, according to Russian media reports quoting the foreign ministry. \n\nBelarus's state news agency Belta reported on Saturday that the long-standing foreign minister and associate of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko had died suddenly. The cause of death wasn't given and Makei\u00a0wasn't known to suffer from any chronic illness. \n\n\nMakei, 64, was due to meet Lavrov on Monday. Last week he\u00a0 attended a conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) -- a military alliance of several post soviet states -- in Yerevan. \n\nBefore the controversial presidential elections in Belarus in 2020 -- which were widely seen as rigged and triggered mass anti-government protests -- Makei had been one of the initiators of efforts to improve Belarus' relations with the West and had criticised Russia. \n\nHowever, he abruptly changed his stance after the start of the protests, saying they were inspired by agents of the West.\u00a0 \n\nExiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, commenting on the minister's death called Makei a traitor to the Belarusian people. \n\n\"In 2020, Makei betrayed the Belarusian people and supported tyranny. This is how the Belarusian people will remember him,\" Tsikhanouskaya said on Twitter. \n\nA few days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February, Makei promised there would be no attack on Ukraine from the territory of Belarus. The entry of Russian troops into Ukraine proved that he was wrong. \n\n\nA supporter of close ties between Moscow and Minsk, Makei said the West had provoked the war and that the Ukrainian authorities should agree to the Russian terms of peace. \n\nIn September, he defended\u00a0Belarus' position to the United Nations Security Council, rejecting claims that his country was an \"accomplice to the agressor\" or a party to the conflict. \n\n\nLukashenko, who crushed the protests of 2020 and retained power in Belarus, offered his condolences to Makei's family, according to the presidential office. \n\nIn Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that ministry officials were shocked by the news of Makei's death.","htmlText":"<p>Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has postponed a planned visit to Minsk following the death of his Belarusian counterpart\u00a0Vladimir Makei, according to Russian media reports quoting the foreign ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Belarus's state news agency Belta reported on Saturday that the long-standing foreign minister and associate of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko had died suddenly. The cause of death wasn't given and Makei\u00a0wasn't known to suffer from any chronic illness. <\/p>\n<p>Makei, 64, was due to meet Lavrov on Monday. Last week he\u00a0attended a conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) -- a military alliance of several post soviet states -- in Yerevan.<\/p>\n<p>Before the controversial presidential elections in Belarus in 2020 -- which were widely seen as rigged and triggered mass anti-government protests -- Makei had been one of the initiators of efforts to improve Belarus' relations with the West and had criticised Russia.<\/p>\n<p>However, he abruptly changed his stance after the start of the protests, saying they were inspired by agents of the West.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, commenting on the minister's death called Makei a traitor to the Belarusian people.<\/p>\n<p>\"In 2020, Makei betrayed the Belarusian people and supported tyranny. This is how the Belarusian people will remember him,\" Tsikhanouskaya said on Twitter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1596522681083785216\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A few days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February, Makei promised there would be no attack on Ukraine from the territory of Belarus. The entry of Russian troops into Ukraine proved that he was wrong. <\/p>\n<p>A supporter of close ties between Moscow and Minsk, Makei said the West had provoked the war and that the Ukrainian authorities should agree to the Russian terms of peace.<\/p>\n<p>In September, he defended\u00a0Belarus' position to the United Nations Security Council, rejecting claims that his country was an \"accomplice to the agressor\" or a party to the conflict. <\/p>\n<p>Lukashenko, who crushed the protests of 2020 and retained power in Belarus, offered his condolences to Makei's family, according to the presidential office.<\/p>\n<p>In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that ministry officials were shocked by the news of Makei's death.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1669549936,"publishedAt":1669552423,"updatedAt":1669552426,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/27\/russias-lavrov-postpones-belarus-visit-after-sudden-death-of-foreign-minister-vladimir-mak","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/21\/65\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c74934d1-389e-5276-9c7f-8d4e40f96b3b-7216520.jpg","altText":"Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, who has died aged 64, gestures while speaking during his annual news conference in Kyiv, Belarus, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.","caption":"Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, who has died aged 64, gestures while speaking during his annual news conference in Kyiv, Belarus, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo, File","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1280,"height":853}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":13410,"slug":"foreign-minister","urlSafeValue":"foreign-minister","title":"Foreign Minister","titleRaw":"Foreign Minister"},{"id":1982,"slug":"minsk","urlSafeValue":"minsk","title":"Minsk","titleRaw":"Minsk"},{"id":11730,"slug":"sergei-lavrov","urlSafeValue":"sergei-lavrov","title":"Sergei Lavrov","titleRaw":"Sergei Lavrov"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":6632,"slug":"alexander-lukashenko","urlSafeValue":"alexander-lukashenko","title":"Alexander Lukashenko","titleRaw":"Alexander Lukashenko"},{"id":8087,"slug":"death","urlSafeValue":"death","title":"Death","titleRaw":"Death"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP, Reuters","additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"},{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/11\/27\/russias-lavrov-postpones-belarus-visit-after-sudden-death-of-foreign-minister-vladimir-mak","lastModified":1669552426},{"id":2123048,"cid":7189736,"versionId":4,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221112_NWSU_49069056","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gs_food','gs_busfin_business','neg_intel_mobkoi','neg_ukraine_russia_war','shadow9hu7_pos_ukraine-russia','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_busfin_indus','gs_busfin','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_business','neg_mobkoi_creed_eng','neg_mobkoi_new','gs_fooddrink_cooking','gs_food_misc','gs_business_misc','gt_positive','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gv_safe'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"'Tasty and That's It': Russia's knock-off McDonald's goes international","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Russia's knock-off McDonald's goes international","titleListing2":"'Tasty and That's It': Russia's knock-off McDonald's goes international","leadin":"The Russian fast food chain 'Tasty and That's It' is expanding across borders, opening up stores in Belarus for the first time.","summary":"The Russian fast food chain 'Tasty and That's It' is expanding across borders, opening up stores in Belarus for the first time.","keySentence":null,"url":"tasty-and-thats-it-russias-knock-off-mcdonalds-goes-international","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The Russian-based fast food chain, 'Vkusno I Tochka' ('Tasty and That\u2019s It'), has gone international, expanding into Belarus.\u00a0 \n\n\"We are entering a new market,\"\u00a0said Alexander Govor, owner of the chain. \"Now Vkusno I Tochka will operate not only in Russia, but also in Belarus.\"\u00a0 \n\n\"This is just the beginning,\" he added.\u00a0\u00a0 \n\nVkusno I Tochka took over McDonald's in Russia after the US fast food giant quit the country, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nSince opening in June, its 800 restaurants have been blighted by supply chain issues, including shortages of fries and Coca-cola, in what was a bumpy start for the Russian rebrand.\u00a0 \n\nIn a statement released on Friday, the company said it was \"completing\" a franchising agreement with a Belarusian chain of fast-food restaurants owned by KSB Victory.\u00a0 \n\nIt plans to open 25 outlets in six cities across Belarus, Russia's neighbour and principal ally in the region, which are currently operating under the McDonald's brand, according to TASS, a Russian state-owned media outlet.\u00a0 \n\nThey will \"start working under the new brand within a few weeks after all the necessary legal procedures are wrapped up and \"organisational issues are resolved,\" TASS reported, adding the move will \"save\" more than 2,000 jobs.\u00a0 \n\nUntil the transition, the fast food restaurants will continue to operate under the McDonald's brand.\u00a0 \n\nVkusno I Tochka has withheld specific details on sales, revenue and profitability, though its CEO\u00a0Oleg Paroev has previously painted a rosy picture of the company's fortunes.\u00a0 \n\nIn September, he told reporters the chain had sold more than 1.2 million burgers, claiming it occasionally enjoyed days of higher sales than under the McDonald's brand.\u00a0 \n\nIssues with potato supplies left many of the chain's restaurants without French fries this summer and it began serving Dobry Cola on tap, after Coca-cola stocks ran dry.\u00a0 \n\nDuring its six months of operations, Vkusno I Tochka said in a statement it has fully recovered from past supply chain problems and adapted logistics, ensuring the \"smooth operation\" of all its enterprises.\u00a0 \n\nMcDonald's shut all its restaurants in Russia on March 14, amid a Western backlash over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\u00a0All its outlets were sold to Govor as a local licensee, who initiated a comprehensive rebranding.\u00a0 \n\nVkusno I Tochka currently operates in 62 Russian regions, with more than 830 venues currently open.","htmlText":"<p>The Russian-based fast food chain, 'Vkusno I Tochka' ('Tasty and That\u2019s It'), has gone international, expanding into Belarus.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"We are entering a new market,\"\u00a0said Alexander Govor, owner of the chain. \"Now Vkusno I Tochka will operate not only in Russia, but also in Belarus.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"This is just the beginning,\" he added.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Vkusno I Tochka took over McDonald's in Russia after the US fast food giant quit the country, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since opening in June, its 800 restaurants have been blighted by supply chain issues, including shortages of fries and Coca-cola, in what was a bumpy start for the Russian rebrand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a statement released on Friday, the company said it was \"completing\" a franchising agreement with a Belarusian chain of fast-food restaurants owned by KSB Victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It plans to open 25 outlets in six cities across Belarus, Russia's neighbour and principal ally in the region, which are currently operating under the McDonald's brand, according to TASS, a Russian state-owned media outlet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They will \"start working under the new brand within a few weeks after all the necessary legal procedures are wrapped up and \"organisational issues are resolved,\" TASS reported, adding the move will \"save\" more than 2,000 jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6770766\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//06//12//tasty-full-stop-former-mcdonald-s-restaurants-rebrand-and-reopen-in-moscow/">'Tasty, full stop': Former McDonald's restaurants rebrand and reopen in Moscow<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Until the transition, the fast food restaurants will continue to operate under the McDonald's brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Vkusno I Tochka has withheld specific details on sales, revenue and profitability, though its CEO\u00a0Oleg Paroev has previously painted a rosy picture of the company's fortunes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In September, he told reporters the chain had sold more than 1.2 million burgers, claiming it occasionally enjoyed days of higher sales than under the McDonald's brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Issues with potato supplies left many of the chain's restaurants without French fries this summer and it began serving Dobry Cola on tap, after Coca-cola stocks ran dry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During its six months of operations, Vkusno I Tochka said in a statement it has fully recovered from past supply chain problems and adapted logistics, ensuring the \"smooth operation\" of all its enterprises.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>McDonald's shut all its restaurants in Russia on March 14, amid a Western backlash over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\u00a0All its outlets were sold to Govor as a local licensee, who initiated a comprehensive rebranding.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Vkusno I Tochka currently operates in 62 Russian regions, with more than 830 venues currently open.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1668246674,"publishedAt":1668250034,"updatedAt":1668426950,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/12\/tasty-and-thats-it-russias-knock-off-mcdonalds-goes-international","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/18\/97\/36\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ac71e2ec-fdac-57ae-a42e-8dfa58c04d21-7189736.jpg","altText":"A former McDonald's outlet in Bolshaya Bronnaya Street in Moscow, Russia, on June 12, 2022.","caption":"A former McDonald's outlet in Bolshaya Bronnaya Street in Moscow, Russia, on June 12, 2022.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Dmitry Serebryakov\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":681}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"askew","title":"Joshua Askew","twitter":"@jweaskew"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":20114,"slug":"mcdonalds","urlSafeValue":"mcdonalds","title":"McDonald's","titleRaw":"McDonald's"},{"id":12824,"slug":"sanctions","urlSafeValue":"sanctions","title":"Sanctions","titleRaw":"Sanctions"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":22614,"slug":"russian-cuisine","urlSafeValue":"russian-cuisine","title":"Russian cuisine","titleRaw":"Russian cuisine"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"Ukraine war","titleRaw":"Ukraine war"},{"id":26754,"slug":"sanctions-against-russia","urlSafeValue":"sanctions-against-russia","title":"sanctions against Russia","titleRaw":"sanctions against Russia"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Reuters","additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":0,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":23,"urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","url":"\/news\/europe\/belarus"},"town":[],"versions":[],"path":"\/2022\/11\/12\/tasty-and-thats-it-russias-knock-off-mcdonalds-goes-international","lastModified":1668426950},{"id":2099768,"cid":7131002,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221019_NWSU_48725478","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"grapeshot":"'gv_military','gs_economy_markets','gs_economy'","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Fears of joint attack on Ukraine as more Russian troops arrive in Belarus","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Fears of joint attack on Ukraine as Russian troops arrive in Belarus","titleListing2":"Fears of joint attack on Ukraine as more Russian troops arrive in Belarus","leadin":"Russian soldiers have arrived in Belarus for joint training exercises, prompting worries that the two allies could launch another attack on Ukraine","summary":"Russian soldiers have arrived in Belarus for joint training exercises, prompting worries that the two allies could launch another attack on Ukraine","keySentence":null,"url":"fears-of-joint-attack-on-ukraine-as-more-russian-troops-arrive-in-belarus","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"More Russian troops have arrived in Belarus for military training, prompting anxiety in Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nSome 9,000 Russian soldiers are expected to be stationed in Belarus for what is officially described as \"exercises\".\u00a0 \n\nBut the troop movement -- which began on Saturday -- has prompted speculation in the West that the manoeuvres could be in preparation for a new attack on Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nThe last time Belarusian and Russian forces held joint exercises was in February. Many of those Russian forces went on to cross the Ukrainian border in their ill-fated push to capture Kyiv.\u00a0 \n\nThe exercises were announced last week by Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko who said his country and Russia would form a joint regional force.\u00a0 \n\n\nUkraine and Belarus share a large 1,000-kilometre border, which is largely wooded and unpopulated.\u00a0 \n\n\nConcerns have also been raised that there could be a mobilisation of Belarussian reservists, although senior military officers in Belarus have dismissed this.\u00a0 \n\n\"All the fake information that is now published in various internet channels is not reliable, there is no reason to worry about it,\" claimed Alexander Shalpuk, a senior Belurassian officer, responsible for mobilisation. \n\n\"Citizens will be summoned to the military commissariat, their data will be noted, and they will depart to their place of work or place of residence. Mobilisation in the Republic of Belarus is not being carried out,\" he added.\u00a0 \n\nThe Belarussian opposition leader in exile said it would be a big mistake for Minsk to follow in the Kremlin's footsteps and announce a national draft.\u00a0 \n\n\"Neither the Belarusians nor the Belarusian army support this war,\" claimed Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, \n\n\"I doubt that Belarusian soldiers will participate in this call. They are not motivated in any way and, in fact, they are also not well equipped.\" \n\nBut Ukraine is not taking any chances.\u00a0 \n\nIf Ukraine\u2019s long northern border with Belarus became a new line of attack it could put pressure on the country's military forces, particularly as the first stage of Russia's offensive was launched from Belarusian soil. \n\nUkraine has reinforced its defences along the border with special forces, who are currently training to counter any move by a possible joint Russian-Belarussian operation.","htmlText":"<p>More Russian troops have arrived in Belarus for military training, prompting anxiety in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some 9,000 Russian soldiers are expected to be stationed in Belarus for what is officially described as \"exercises\".\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But the troop movement -- which began on Saturday -- has prompted speculation in the West that the manoeuvres could be in preparation for a new attack on Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The last time Belarusian and Russian forces held joint exercises was in February. Many of those Russian forces went on to cross the Ukrainian border in their ill-fated push to capture Kyiv.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The exercises were announced last week by Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko who said his country and Russia would form a joint regional force.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Ukraine and Belarus share a large 1,000-kilometre border, which is largely wooded and unpopulated.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Concerns have also been raised that there could be a mobilisation of Belarussian reservists, although senior military officers in Belarus have dismissed this.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1581554809097768960\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"All the fake information that is now published in various internet channels is not reliable, there is no reason to worry about it,\" claimed Alexander Shalpuk, a senior Belurassian officer, responsible for mobilisation.<\/p>\n<p>\"Citizens will be summoned to the military commissariat, their data will be noted, and they will depart to their place of work or place of residence. Mobilisation in the Republic of Belarus is not being carried out,\" he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Belarussian opposition leader in exile said it would be a big mistake for Minsk to follow in the Kremlin's footsteps and announce a national draft.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"Neither the Belarusians nor the Belarusian army support this war,\" claimed Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,<\/p>\n<p>\"I doubt that Belarusian soldiers will participate in this call. They are not motivated in any way and, in fact, they are also not well equipped.\"<\/p>\n<p>But Ukraine is not taking any chances.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If Ukraine\u2019s long northern border with Belarus became a new line of attack it could put pressure on the country's military forces, particularly as the first stage of Russia's offensive was launched from Belarusian soil.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine has reinforced its defences along the border with special forces, who are currently training to counter any move by a possible joint Russian-Belarussian operation.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7123902,7113512\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//10//14//ukraine-war-new-russian-gas-hub-in-turkey-rape-deliberate-strategy-crimean-bridge-repair-p/">Ukraine war: Belarus mulls joining war, rape 'deliberate strategy', Crimean bridge repair plan<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//10//17//belarusians-fight-for-ukraine-with-an-eye-on-ousting-lukashenko/">Belarusians fight for Ukraine with an eye on ousting Lukashenko<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1666184482,"publishedAt":1666212594,"updatedAt":1666212636,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/10\/19\/fears-of-joint-attack-on-ukraine-as-more-russian-troops-arrive-in-belarus","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/13\/10\/02\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7332a2b4-0b5f-5314-8b71-9539c31bed05-7131002.jpg","altText":"Russian soldiers arrive in Belarus","caption":"Russian soldiers arrive in Belarus","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Eurovision","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":960,"height":540},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/13\/10\/08\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6edeeb05-091d-553f-bfe3-11d4b05409da-7131008.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Eurovision","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":960,"height":540}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"armstrong","title":"Mark Armstrong","twitter":""}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":26698,"slug":"russia-ukraine-invasion","urlSafeValue":"russia-ukraine-invasion","title":"Russia-Ukraine invasion","titleRaw":"Russia-Ukraine 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Political activist gets 25 years in prison amid further crackdown on dissidents","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarus: Political activist jailed amid crackdown on dissidents","titleListing2":"Belarus: Political activist jailed for 25 years amid crackdown on dissidents","leadin":"Mikalay Autukhovich's sentence comes just days after another imprisoned activist, Ales Bialiatski, was one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.","summary":"Mikalay Autukhovich's sentence comes just days after another imprisoned activist, Ales Bialiatski, was one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.","keySentence":null,"url":"belarus-political-activist-gets-25-years-in-prison-amid-further-crackdown-on-dissidents","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A leading political activist in Belarus was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday for opposing strongman President Alexander Lukashenko's regime in the latest step in the country's brutal crackdown on political dissidents. \n\nMikalay Autukhovich was convicted on charges of \"plotting a terror attack, high treason and conspiracy to seize power\" -- all categories added to the country's penal code by Lukashenko after the 2020 large-scale protests against him and his government, sparked by allegations of serious election-rigging.\u00a0 \n\nAlong with Autukhovich, 11 other activists in Belarus were sentenced to prison terms of up to 20 years. \n\nAutukhovich, 59, is a former military officer and a veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. He helped the regime's rivals raise funds for their efforts to oppose Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation for nearly three decades.\u00a0 \n\nIt comes just ten days after jailed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski was jointly awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the Viasna Human Rights Centre.\u00a0 \n\nBelarus' opposition leader\u00a0Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said\u00a0 Bialiatski's accolade will help \u00a0\"attract more attention to the humanitarian situation\" in the country. \n\nBialiatski was detained following Lukashenko's 2020 re-election.\u00a0Tsikhanouskaya has been in exile since. \n\nA close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko has forcefully suppressed demonstrations and dissent sparked by his victory claims.","htmlText":"<p>A leading political activist in Belarus was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday for opposing strongman President Alexander Lukashenko's regime in the latest step in the country's brutal crackdown on political dissidents.<\/p>\n<p>Mikalay Autukhovich was convicted on charges of \"plotting a terror attack, high treason and conspiracy to seize power\" -- all categories added to the country's penal code by Lukashenko after the 2020 large-scale protests against him and his government, sparked by allegations of serious election-rigging.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Along with Autukhovich, 11 other activists in Belarus were sentenced to prison terms of up to 20 years.<\/p>\n<p>Autukhovich, 59, is a former military officer and a veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. He helped the regime's rivals raise funds for their efforts to oppose Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation for nearly three decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7113512,7104966\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2022//10//10//eu-warns-lukashenko-of-sanctions-over-joint-grouping-of-troops-with-russia/">Belarus: EU warns Lukashenko of sanctions over joint grouping of troops with Russia<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//10//14//ukraine-war-new-russian-gas-hub-in-turkey-rape-deliberate-strategy-crimean-bridge-repair-p/">Ukraine war: Belarus mulls joining war, rape 'deliberate strategy', Crimean bridge repair plan<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It comes just ten days after jailed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski was jointly awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the Viasna Human Rights Centre.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Belarus' opposition leader\u00a0Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said\u00a0<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//10//07//watch-live-who-will-be-awarded-the-nobel-peace-prize-2022/">Bialiatski's accolade will help<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\"attract more attention to the humanitarian situation\" in the country.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//12//56//32//808x539_cmsv2_c29ffad8-7c46-5b02-8776-a8fad0890b73-7125632.jpg/" alt=\"Sergei Grits/AP2011\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/384x256_cmsv2_c29ffad8-7c46-5b02-8776-a8fad0890b73-7125632.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/640x427_cmsv2_c29ffad8-7c46-5b02-8776-a8fad0890b73-7125632.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/750x500_cmsv2_c29ffad8-7c46-5b02-8776-a8fad0890b73-7125632.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/828x552_cmsv2_c29ffad8-7c46-5b02-8776-a8fad0890b73-7125632.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/1080x720_cmsv2_c29ffad8-7c46-5b02-8776-a8fad0890b73-7125632.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/1200x800_cmsv2_c29ffad8-7c46-5b02-8776-a8fad0890b73-7125632.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/1920x1281_cmsv2_c29ffad8-7c46-5b02-8776-a8fad0890b73-7125632.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Ales Bialiatski sits in a cage during a court session in Minsk, Belarus in 2011<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Sergei Grits/AP2011<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Bialiatski was detained following Lukashenko's 2020 re-election.\u00a0Tsikhanouskaya has been in exile since.<\/p>\n<p>A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko has forcefully suppressed demonstrations and dissent sparked by his victory claims.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1666034316,"publishedAt":1666038911,"updatedAt":1666038914,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/10\/17\/belarus-political-activist-gets-25-years-in-prison-amid-further-crackdown-on-dissidents","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ef2c16ca-3f63-514a-ba49-0705e2482dd3-7125632.jpg","altText":"A Belarusian national flag flutters over a street in Minsk in February 2022","caption":"A Belarusian national flag flutters over a street in Minsk in February 2022","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/12\/56\/32\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_60a5f208-38d2-5804-b16c-a871c9a608db-7125632.jpg","altText":"A Belarusian 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Mobilise children to harvest potatoes and apples, says Lukashenko","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Mobilise children to harvest potatoes and apples, says Lukashenko","titleListing2":"Mobilise children to harvest potatoes and apples, says Lukashenko","leadin":"\"It will be happiness for the parents and good physical training for the children,\" said Lukashenko.","summary":"\"It will be happiness for the parents and good physical training for the children,\" said Lukashenko.","keySentence":null,"url":"belarus-mobilise-children-to-harvest-potatoes-and-apples-says-lukashenko","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called for schoolchildren to be mobilised to harvest apples and potatoes. \n\nLukashenko said it was \"savagery\" that children could not be used to help with the country's agricultural industry. \n\n\"What kind of example are we going to set for our schoolchildren, our children?\" he told a government meeting on Monday. \n\n\"They say it's exploitation, but what kind of exploitation is it if a person goes to work for five or six hours?\" \n\n\"It will be happiness for the parents and good physical training for the children.\" \n\nSchoolchildren and students were previously mobilised to help farmers harvest crops in the former Soviet Union (USSR). \n\nThe Belarusian president --\u00a0a former Soviet\u00a0manager at a collective farm\u00a0-- is known for his verbal outbursts and radical proposals. \n\nIn 2020, Lukashenko recommended that a daily glass of vodka and fieldwork on a tractor would help cure COVID-19. \n\nThe Belarusian President has also accused Ukraine of \"provocations\" by sending 15,000 troops to the border area to build defences and conduct reconnaissance. \n\nBelarus allowed its ally Moscow to station troops in the country for its invasion in February but\u00a0 Lukashenko has said he was not planning a mobilisation of military forces to support Moscow. \n\nThe 68-year-old has ruled with an iron fist since 1994 and has faced unprecedented opposition protests since his disputed re-election in 2020.","htmlText":"<p>Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called for schoolchildren to be mobilised to harvest apples and potatoes.<\/p>\n<p>Lukashenko said it was \"savagery\" that children could not be used to help with the country's agricultural industry.<\/p>\n<p>\"What kind of example are we going to set for our schoolchildren, our children?\" he told a government meeting on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>\"They say it's exploitation, but what kind of exploitation is it if a person goes to work for five or six hours?\"<\/p>\n<p>\"It will be happiness for the parents and good physical training for the children.\"<\/p>\n<p>Schoolchildren and students were previously mobilised to help farmers harvest crops in the former Soviet Union (USSR).<\/p>\n<p>The Belarusian president --\u00a0a former Soviet\u00a0manager at a collective farm\u00a0-- is known for his verbal outbursts and radical proposals.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, Lukashenko <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2020//04//21//belarus-and-coronavirus-lukashenko-s-business-as-usual-approach-is-mind-blowing-negligence/">recommended that a daily glass of vodka and fieldwork on a tractor<\/strong><\/a> would help cure COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>The Belarusian President has also accused Ukraine of \"provocations\" by sending 15,000 troops to the border area to build defences and conduct reconnaissance.<\/p>\n<p>Belarus allowed its ally Moscow to station troops in the country for its invasion in February but\u00a0Lukashenko has said he was not planning a mobilisation of military forces to support Moscow.<\/p>\n<p>The 68-year-old has ruled with an iron fist since 1994 and has faced unprecedented opposition protests since his disputed re-election in 2020.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1664878401,"publishedAt":1664882061,"updatedAt":1664894692,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/10\/04\/belarus-mobilise-children-to-harvest-potatoes-and-apples-says-lukashenko","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/08\/30\/02\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6c7cd015-1242-55a1-b3a5-330e7bb517b8-7083002.jpg","altText":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan","caption":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Credit: 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jails five people, including party leader, for alleged attempted coup","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belarus jails five people for alleged attempted coup","titleListing2":"Belarus has jailed five people, including an opposition party leader, for an alleged coup attempt.","leadin":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had claimed that he had foiled a coup in April last year.","summary":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had claimed that he had foiled a coup in April last year.","keySentence":null,"url":"belarus-jails-five-people-including-party-leader-for-alleged-attempted-coup","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Five people have been handed lengthy prison sentences in Belarus for an alleged attempted coup last year. \n\nBelarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed in April 2021 that he had foiled a coup and \"assassination\" attempt planned by the United States. \n\nAccording to the Viasna human rights centre, those found guilty on Monday include Popular Front party leader Rygor Kastushev and US lawyer Yuri Zyankovich. \n\nZiankovich was sentenced to 11 years in prison for \"creating and leading an extremist group\". \n\nMeanwhile, Kastushev was handed a 10-year sentence for plotting \"to take power by unconstitutional means\". \n\nPolitical scientist and literary critic Aleksandr Feduta was also jailed for 10 years while two other defendants received two-and-a-half year jail terms. \n\nFeduta had claimed that the \"coup\" project was started by an officer of the Belarusian secret service (KGB) who had infiltrated the group. \n\nThe case was first reported amid widespread demonstrations in Belarus after Lukashenko's disputed re-election in August 2020. \n\nBelarusian authorities have conducted a relentless, multi-pronged crackdown on dissent following the demonstrations.","htmlText":"<p>Five people have been handed lengthy prison sentences in Belarus for an alleged attempted coup last year.<\/p>\n<p>Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed in April 2021 that he had foiled a coup and \"assassination\" attempt planned by the United States.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////spring96.org//en/">Viasna human rights centre, those found guilty on Monday include Popular Front party leader Rygor Kastushev and US lawyer Yuri Zyankovich.<\/p>\n<p>Ziankovich was sentenced to 11 years in prison for \"creating and leading an extremist group\".<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Kastushev was handed a 10-year sentence for plotting \"to take power by unconstitutional means\".<\/p>\n<p>Political scientist and literary critic Aleksandr Feduta was also jailed for 10 years while two other defendants received two-and-a-half year jail terms.<\/p>\n<p>Feduta had claimed that the \"coup\" project was started by an officer of the Belarusian secret service (KGB) who had infiltrated the group.<\/p>\n<p>The case was first reported amid widespread demonstrations in Belarus after Lukashenko's disputed re-election in August 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Belarusian authorities have conducted a relentless, multi-pronged crackdown on dissent following the demonstrations.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1662395094,"publishedAt":1662397037,"updatedAt":1662397040,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/09\/05\/belarus-jails-five-people-including-party-leader-for-alleged-attempted-coup","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/99\/64\/48\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0009098b-c99f-51e8-9700-acffb637dde7-6996448.jpg","altText":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claims a US-led coup attempt took place last April.","caption":"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claims a US-led coup attempt took place last April.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Ramil Sitdikov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via 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protests"}],"related":[{"id":1998162},{"id":1979908}],"technicalTags":[],"widgets":[],"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":{"quotation":null,"description":null,"author":null},"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":null,"contentType":null,"displayOverlay":0},"displayType":"default","video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Euronews","additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"AFP","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My 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years after Belarus election, 'torch of freedom' still burning, says Tsikhanouskaya","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Two years after Belarus election, 'torch of freedom' still burning","titleListing2":"Two years after Belarus election, 'torch of freedom' still burning, says Tsikhanouskaya","leadin":"The 9 August 2020 elections -- believed to have been rigged by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko -- sparked unprecedented protests, leading to a crackdown against opponents of the regime and tens of thousands of arrests.","summary":"The 9 August 2020 elections -- believed to have been rigged by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko -- sparked unprecedented protests, leading to a crackdown against opponents of the regime and tens of thousands of arrests.","keySentence":null,"url":"two-years-after-belarus-election-torch-of-freedom-still-burning-says-tsikhanouskaya","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tuesday marks two years since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size in a country that has been labelled \u201cthe last dictatorship in Europe\u201d. \n\nAlexander Lukashenko was declared the victor -- by a landslide -- in the August 9 2020 vote. \n\nIn fact, he has been declared the winner of every presidential election held in the country since it split from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. \n\nMany believe he has held onto this position by rigging elections. This was the accusation of the opposition in Belarus, and tens of thousands of the general public, who took to the streets following the 2020 election result. \n\nSviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ran in the August 2020 presidential contest against Lukashenko following her husband's arrest, is thought by many to have won the election instead. \n\n\n\"I want to applaud Belarusians and friends of Belarus around the world for carrying our torch of freedom. You made sure that our voices are heard,\" Tsikhanouskaya said in a Twitter post on the anniversary of the 2020 election on Tuesday.\u00a0 \n\n\"On this Day of Solidarity with Belarus, two years after the stolen elections, I thank all who kept our light burning,\" she added. \n\nTsikhanouskaya fled Belarus two days after the election when Lukashenko cracked down on the ongoing protests. Some 11 people were killed in the clashes with the Belarus police with at least six considered to be missing, and thousands of people were arrested. \n\n\nThe European Union and the United States have branded the election fraudulent and imposed sanctions on high-ranking Belarusian officials for the violent repression of the mass pro-democracy demonstrations that followed the plebiscite. \n\nIn the aftermath of the election, as many as 30,000 were arrested for protesting against Lukashenko's reelection, with some declaring they were subjected to torture.\u00a0 \n\nA 2020 United Nations Human Rights Office statement cited over 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment. \n\nThe regime has also cracked down on independent media and non-profit organisations, branding them \"extremist\" outfits and ordering their closure.\u00a0 \n\nThe death of\u00a0Vitali Shishov, the director of the Belarusian House in Ukraine, in August 2021, also sparked fears that the KGB -- Belarus' intelligence agency that never changed its Soviet moniker -- might be intent on taking out people deemed dangerous to the Minsk regime. \n\nThe arrest of journalist Roman Protasevich after his Ryanair flight to Vilnius was diverted to Minsk was seen as another act of persecution of any opponents of Lukashenko by any means available. \n\n'Minsk regime threat to neighbours' \n\nThe two years following the election have seen virtually the entire political opposition in Belarus locked up or forced to flee over the border, with Lukashenko and his government amending the constitution to give him even more executive powers than before. \n\nAdditionally, the Minsk regime has introduced severe penalties for any dissenting voices, further made worse by Russia's 24 February invasion of Ukraine, in which Lukashenko played a role as Russian President Vladimir Putin's key ally in the region. \n\nVocal opposition to Lukashenko is now punishable by death if the country's authorities -- considered to be completely under his control -- deem it an \"act of terrorism\". \n\nThe EU has l evied further sanctions on Lukashenko and his associates, while opponents of his regime have turned into outright saboteurs.\u00a0 \n\nT he Railroad Partisan movement, which sprung from the opposition to Minsk's involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has seen the country's infrastructure regularly sabotaged to slow down or prevent the movement of Moscow troops as the Kremlin continues to use Belarus as a staging area for its attacks. \n\nMeanwhile, \u00a0Tsikhanouskaya has led the opposition movement in exile, becoming even more vocal after her husband -- a notable blogger and Lukashenko critic -- was doled out an 18-year prison sentence in December 2021. \n\nFor her fight against the Belarus strongman, Tsikhanouskaya \u00a0has received many international plaudits, including European Parliament's Sakharov prize for human rights in 2020. \n\nDavid Sassoli, the European Parliament president, said at the time: \u201cThe strength of your spirit has shown the way to revolution, which has taken power in the country in 2020 and we pay tribute to you and to your resistance and to your perseverance.\u201d \n\nRight before Russia's February invasion of Ukraine,\u00a0 Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews that\u00a0 \u201cBelarus rule in regional security is crucial.\u00a0 \n\n\"Our crisis that started in illegal elections and crackdowns spilt over the region,\u201d she said. \n\n\u201cThe regime in Minsk became a threat to neighbours to the whole continent and it\u2019s time to stop it right now.\u201d","htmlText":"<p>Tuesday marks two years since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size in a country that has been labelled \u201cthe last dictatorship in Europe\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Alexander Lukashenko was declared the victor -- by a landslide -- in the August 9 2020 vote.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, he has been declared the winner of every presidential election held in the country since it split from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n<p>Many believe he has held onto this position by rigging elections. This was the accusation of the opposition in Belarus, and tens of thousands of the general public, who took to the streets following the 2020 election result.<\/p>\n<p>Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ran in the August 2020 presidential contest against Lukashenko following her husband's arrest, is thought by many to have won the election instead. <\/p>\n<p>\"I want to applaud Belarusians and friends of Belarus around the world for carrying our torch of freedom. You made sure that our voices are heard,\" Tsikhanouskaya said in a Twitter post on the anniversary of the 2020 election on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"On this Day of Solidarity with Belarus, two years after the stolen elections, I thank all who kept our light burning,\" she added.<\/p>\n<p>Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus two days after the election when Lukashenko cracked down on the ongoing protests. Some 11 people were killed in the clashes with the Belarus police with at least six considered to be missing, and thousands of people were arrested. <\/p>\n<p>The European Union and the United States have branded the election fraudulent and imposed sanctions on high-ranking Belarusian officials for the violent repression of the mass pro-democracy demonstrations that followed the plebiscite.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6846554,6805382\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//07//13//katsiaryna-andreeva-belarusian-journalist-sentenced-to-more-than-eight-years-in-prison/">Katsiaryna Andreeva: Belarusian journalist sentenced to more than eight years in prison<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//06//27//sofia-sapega-russian-partner-of-belarus-dissident-asks-lukashenko-for-pardon/">Sofia Sapega: Russian partner of Belarus dissident asks Lukashenko for pardon<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In the aftermath of the election, as many as 30,000 were arrested for protesting against Lukashenko's reelection, with some declaring they were subjected to torture.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A 2020 United Nations Human Rights Office statement cited over 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment.<\/p>\n<p>The regime has also cracked down on independent media and non-profit organisations, branding them \"extremist\" outfits and ordering their closure.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The death of\u00a0Vitali Shishov, the director of the Belarusian House in Ukraine, in August 2021, also sparked fears that the KGB -- Belarus' intelligence agency that never changed its Soviet moniker -- might be intent on taking out people deemed dangerous to the Minsk regime.<\/p>\n<p>The arrest of journalist Roman Protasevich after his Ryanair flight to Vilnius was diverted to Minsk was seen as another act of persecution of any opponents of Lukashenko by any means available.<\/p>\n<h2>'Minsk regime threat to neighbours'<\/h2><p>The two years following the election have seen virtually the entire political opposition in Belarus locked up or forced to flee over the border, with Lukashenko and his government amending the constitution to give him even more executive powers than before.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the Minsk regime has introduced severe penalties for any dissenting voices, further made worse by Russia's 24 February invasion of Ukraine, in which Lukashenko played a role as Russian President Vladimir Putin's key ally in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Vocal opposition to Lukashenko is now punishable by death if the country's authorities -- considered to be completely under his control -- deem it an \"act of terrorism\".<\/p>\n<p>The EU has levied further sanctions on Lukashenko and his associates, while opponents of his regime have turned into outright saboteurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Railroad Partisan movement, which sprung from the opposition to Minsk's involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has seen the country's infrastructure regularly sabotaged to slow down or prevent the movement of Moscow troops as the Kremlin continues to use Belarus as a staging area for its attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile,\u00a0Tsikhanouskaya has led the opposition movement in exile, becoming even more vocal after her husband -- a notable blogger and Lukashenko critic -- was doled out an 18-year prison sentence in December 2021.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6257612,6492000\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//02//19//svetlana-tsikhanouskaya-democratic-world-must-show-its-teeth-over-belarus/">Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya: 'Democratic world must show its teeth' over Belarus<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2021//11//24//watch-tsikhanouskaya-urges-eu-to-be-ruled-by-values-not-by-money-in-its-response-to-belaru/">Watch: Tsikhanouskaya urges EU to be 'ruled by values, not by money' in its response to Belarus<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>For her fight against the Belarus strongman, Tsikhanouskaya\u00a0has received many international plaudits, including European Parliament's Sakharov prize for human rights in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>David Sassoli, the European Parliament president, said at the time: \u201cThe strength of your spirit has shown the way to revolution, which has taken power in the country in 2020 and we pay tribute to you and to your resistance and to your perseverance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Right before Russia's February invasion of Ukraine,\u00a0Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews that\u00a0\u201cBelarus rule in regional security is crucial.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"Our crisis that started in illegal elections and crackdowns spilt over the region,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe regime in Minsk became a threat to neighbours to the whole continent and it\u2019s time to stop it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1660037200,"publishedAt":1660042350,"updatedAt":1660046671,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/08\/09\/two-years-after-belarus-election-torch-of-freedom-still-burning-says-tsikhanouskaya","programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/92\/28\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a9ea1975-3745-5dff-8535-e68be2117b52-6922842.jpg","altText":"A protester holding an historical Belarusian flag stands in front of police officers as they block a road in Minsk , 9 August 2020","caption":"A protester holding an historical Belarusian flag stands in front of police officers as they block a road in Minsk , 9 August 2020","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"brezar","title":"Aleksandar Brezar","twitter":"@brezaleksandar"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23848,"slug":"2020-belarusian-presidential-election","urlSafeValue":"2020-belarusian-presidential-election","title":"2020 Belarusian presidential election","titleRaw":"2020 Belarusian presidential election"},{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":6632,"slug":"alexander-lukashenko","urlSafeValue":"alexander-lukashenko","title":"Alexander Lukashenko","titleRaw":"Alexander Lukashenko"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"Ukraine war","titleRaw":"Ukraine 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