Belarus police raid homes of journalists in continuing crackdown

The latest searches extend what rights activists say is a crackdown on opponents of longtime President Alexander Lukashenko. Security officers in Belarus have raided the offices and homes of independent journalists and human rights activists for the third successive day, extending what rights activists say is a new crackdown on opponents of longtime President Alexander

EU agrees on increased sanctions against Belarus

EU foreign ministers gathering in Luxembourg have approved a set of tougher sanctions targeting sectors that will impact the Belarusian regime, according to diplomats. European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday increased the pressure on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko by approving tougher sanctions on entities supporting his regime, diplomats said. The agreement, struck at a meeting in Luxembourg,

BBC journalists walk out of press conference in Belarus after detained blogger brought out

Two BBC correspondents walked out of a Belarusian press conference Monday after officials produced detained journalist Roman Protasevich to discuss last month’s forced landing of the commercial airliner he was on. “We have just walked out,” tweeted BBC Ukrainian correspondent Jonah Fisher. “Not taking part when he is clearly there under duress.” “We have walked out from

Prominent Belarusian Political Analyst Flees Country

A prominent Belarusian political analyst has fled the country, saying he fears being imprisoned, days after being named by detained journalist Raman Pratasevich in a televised interview widely considered to have been given under duress. Pratasevich, who was arrested after a fighter jet intercepted a Ryanair flight on May 23 and forced it to land in Minsk,

‘Bomb Threat’ That Justified Belarus Hijacking Came 24 Minutes After

An exclusively obtained record shows that the Ryanair ‘Hamas bomb’ email—which the Belarus president said prompted the jet landing—was sent after the crew was told of a ‘threat.’ The Daily Beast, in collaboration with the Dossier Center, has exclusively obtained the original bomb threat email Alexander Lukashenko now claims was sent by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, allegedly

Belarus accused of ‘hijacking’ Ryanair flight diverted to arrest blogger

Roman Protasevich is wanted for organising last year’s protests against Alexander Lukashenko Belarus has been accused of hijacking a European jetliner and engaging in an act of state terrorism when it forced a Ryanair flight to perform an emergency landing in Minsk after a bomb threat and arrested an opposition blogger critical of authoritarian president