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WEATHER ALERT

A special weather statement in effect for Alachua, Eastern, Western Region

SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKAYA


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Belarus opens case against a 78-year-old activist who became a symbol of the pro-democracy movement

Read full article: Belarus opens case against a 78-year-old activist who became a symbol of the pro-democracy movement

Authorities in Belarus have opened a criminal case against the 78-year-old activist who became the face of the country’s pro-democracy protests in 2020.

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Authoritarian leader of Belarus is sworn for a 7th term and tells his critics 'you have no future'

Read full article: Authoritarian leader of Belarus is sworn for a 7th term and tells his critics 'you have no future'

Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has been sworn in for a seventh term, and he mocked those who derided him as “Europe’s last dictator” by saying his country has more democracy “than those who cast themselves as its models.”.

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Frozen US aid brings new challenges to groups hit by harsh crackdowns in Russia and Belarus

Read full article: Frozen US aid brings new challenges to groups hit by harsh crackdowns in Russia and Belarus

Rights groups, activists and independent media in Russia and Belarus endured increased government scrutiny, repressive laws and even were shut down and forced to operate from exile abroad.

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EU rejects election in Belarus and threatens new sanctions

Read full article: EU rejects election in Belarus and threatens new sanctions

The European Union has rejected the election in Belarus as illegitimate and threatened new sanctions.

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Belarus strongman wins a 7th term in an election the opposition calls a farce

Read full article: Belarus strongman wins a 7th term in an election the opposition calls a farce

Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko is all but certain to extend his more than three decades in power in Sunday’s election that is rejected by the opposition as a farce after years of sweeping repressions.

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Belarus election is poised to extend the 30-year rule of 'Europe's last dictator'

Read full article: Belarus election is poised to extend the 30-year rule of 'Europe's last dictator'

Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for over 30 years, is poised to extend his rule in an election that concludes Sunday and that the opposition dismisses as a farce.

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An imprisoned Nobel laureate underscores human rights abuses in Belarus

Read full article: An imprisoned Nobel laureate underscores human rights abuses in Belarus

Ales Bialiatski, a human rights advocate who won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, is serving a 10-year prison sentence in Belarus and is one of hundreds of its political prisoners.

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Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after being held incommunicado for over 700 days

Read full article: Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after being held incommunicado for over 700 days

An imprisoned opposition leader in Belarus has resurfaced in a video shot by a pro-government blogger after over 700 days of no contact with his family.

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A dissident film director from Belarus is released after 1 year of detention in Serbia

Read full article: A dissident film director from Belarus is released after 1 year of detention in Serbia

A noted Belarusian film director and dissident who was held in Serbia for a year while Belarus sought his extradition has been released and gone to Germany.

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Belarus sets a Jan. 26 election that's almost certain to extend its authoritarian leader's rule

Read full article: Belarus sets a Jan. 26 election that's almost certain to extend its authoritarian leader's rule

Lawmakers in Belarus set the next presidential election for Jan. 26, a vote almost certain to extend the three-decade rule of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

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Belarus opposition urges immediate release of over 200 political prisoners in dire state

Read full article: Belarus opposition urges immediate release of over 200 political prisoners in dire state

Belarusian opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Thursday said 224 political prisoners in Belarus must be urgently released.

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Belarusians fleeing repression at home say they face new threats and intimidation abroad

Read full article: Belarusians fleeing repression at home say they face new threats and intimidation abroad

More than a half-million Belarusians have fled their country since 2020 as the authoritarian government cracked down its critics.

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Relatives of Belarus' political prisoners complain that East-West swap didn't free their loved ones

Read full article: Relatives of Belarus' political prisoners complain that East-West swap didn't free their loved ones

A wave of disappointment swept over opposition activists in Belarus last week as the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War unfolded and they learned it included none of the Belarusian political detainees who’ve been locked up for years by its authoritarian leader.

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Hungary's foreign minister visits Belarus despite EU sanctions, talks about expanding ties

Read full article: Hungary's foreign minister visits Belarus despite EU sanctions, talks about expanding ties

Hungary’s top diplomat has visited Belarus for talks on expanding ties despite the European Union’s sanctions against the country.

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Mourners honor woman who was raped and killed in Poland's capital after fleeing Belarus

Read full article: Mourners honor woman who was raped and killed in Poland's capital after fleeing Belarus

Mourners in Poland have paid tribute to a young Belarusian woman who died after being attacked and raped on the streets of Warsaw last month, a crime that has shocked the country.

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Belarusians vote in a tightly controlled election as the opposition calls for its boycott

Read full article: Belarusians vote in a tightly controlled election as the opposition calls for its boycott

Tightly controlled parliamentary and local elections in Belarus are set to cement the hard-line rule of the country’s authoritarian leader, despite a prominent opposition leader’s call for a boycott.

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Yulia Navalnaya once avoided the limelight. Now she's Russia’s newest opposition leader

Read full article: Yulia Navalnaya once avoided the limelight. Now she's Russia’s newest opposition leader

Yulia Navalnaya used to avoid the cameras, staying in the background while her husband rose to become Russia’s most prominent opposition figure and President Vladimir Putin’s greatest foe.

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Belarusians who fled repression face new hurdles as they try to rebuild their lives abroad

Read full article: Belarusians who fled repression face new hurdles as they try to rebuild their lives abroad

Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians who fled repression in their homeland face the prospect of having invalid documents after authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree halting passport renewals abroad.

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Belarus bans citizens from renewing passports abroad, spreading fear among those who fled repression

Read full article: Belarus bans citizens from renewing passports abroad, spreading fear among those who fled repression

Belarus’ authoritarian president banned citizens from renewing their passports while staying abroad, which could force those who fled the country amid growing repression to return to maintain their travel documents.

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Nobel Foundation withdraws invitation to Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend ceremonies

Read full article: Nobel Foundation withdraws invitation to Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend ceremonies

The Nobel Foundation has withdrawn its invitation for representatives of Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend this year’s Nobel Prize award ceremonies after the decision to invite them provoked strong reactions.

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Former official under Belarus President Lukashenko to face Swiss trial over enforced disappearances

Read full article: Former official under Belarus President Lukashenko to face Swiss trial over enforced disappearances

A former member of Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko’s special security forces is to face trial in Switzerland next month for the forced disappearances of political opponents in the late 1990s.

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Russia's Wagner mercenaries launch joint training with Belarusian military near Poland's border

Read full article: Russia's Wagner mercenaries launch joint training with Belarusian military near Poland's border

Mercenaries from Russia’s military company Wagner have launched joint drills with the Belarusian military almost a month after their short-lived rebellion.

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Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

Read full article: Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

Russia and Belarus signed a deal formalizing the deployment of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally, although control of the weapons remains in the Kremlin.

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Belarusians wary of being drawn into war with Ukraine

Read full article: Belarusians wary of being drawn into war with Ukraine

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has welcomed thousands of Russian troops to his country, allowed the Kremlin to use it to launch the invasion of Ukraine last year, and offered to station some of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons there.

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US sanctions Belarus' election officials, president's plane

Read full article: US sanctions Belarus' election officials, president's plane

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on seven Belarusian elections officials, two state-owned automotive manufacturers and President Alexander Lukashenko’s aircraft.

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Belarus sentences exiled opposition leader to 15 years

Read full article: Belarus sentences exiled opposition leader to 15 years

A court in Belarus has sentenced exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison after a trial in absentia on charges including conspiring to overthrow the government.

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Belarus' opposition leader denounces her trial as farce

Read full article: Belarus' opposition leader denounces her trial as farce

A trial in absentia has opened for Belarus’ top opposition leader who denounced the proceedings as a farce and urged the West to bolster support for the country’s beleaguered opposition.

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Europe praises, Belarus scorns Nobel for rights defenders

Read full article: Europe praises, Belarus scorns Nobel for rights defenders

Officials in Europe praised the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to activists standing up for human rights and democracy in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, but authorities in Belarus are scorning the move.

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Belarus opposition hopeful at Russian setbacks in Ukraine

Read full article: Belarus opposition hopeful at Russian setbacks in Ukraine

Belarus’ opposition leader says she believes that Russian military setbacks in Ukraine could shake the hold on power of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

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Belarus opposition says fate of country, Ukraine intertwined

Read full article: Belarus opposition says fate of country, Ukraine intertwined

Belarus' opposition leader says the fate of Belarus and Ukraine are “interconnected” and both countries have to fight together for their very existence because Russia doesn’t view them as independent sovereign states.

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Belarus sheds neutral status in vote critics call rigged

Read full article: Belarus sheds neutral status in vote critics call rigged

Belarusian authorities say more than half of the country’s voters approved constitutional reforms that would allow its authoritarian leader to stay in power until 2035 and open the way for stronger military cooperation with Russia.

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Belarus holds constitutional vote as crisis in Ukraine rages

Read full article: Belarus holds constitutional vote as crisis in Ukraine rages

Belarusians are voting in a constitutional referendum that the country’s authoritarian leader called to cement his 27-year-old grip on power, even as he offers the country’s territory to his ally Russia to invade Ukraine.

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Belarus leader downplays possible deployment to Syria

Read full article: Belarus leader downplays possible deployment to Syria

Belarus’ authoritarian president says he has no intention of sending troops to Syria to serve alongside Russian forces in the country but is holding the door open for a potential deployment of military medics there.

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Belarus to send 200 troops to Syria alongside Russians

Read full article: Belarus to send 200 troops to Syria alongside Russians

Belarus is planning to deploy up to 200 troops to Syria to serve alongside Russian forces in the country.

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Belarus leader tells opposition leaders: 'Repent and kneel'

Read full article: Belarus leader tells opposition leaders: 'Repent and kneel'

Belarus’ authoritarian leader has advised exiled opposition activists to “come home, repent and kneel,” while repeating a vague promise to step down if the people “make the decision” for him.

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Navalny's daughter accepts EU rights award on his behalf

Read full article: Navalny's daughter accepts EU rights award on his behalf

The young adult daughter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny received a standing ovation from European Union lawmakers as she accepted the EU’s top human rights prize on her father’s behalf.

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Belarus hands opposition leader’s husband 18 years in prison

Read full article: Belarus hands opposition leader’s husband 18 years in prison

A court in Belarus has sentenced the husband of the country’s opposition leader to 18 years in prison.

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US, EU and allies hit Belarus with coordinated sanctions

Read full article: US, EU and allies hit Belarus with coordinated sanctions

The United States, European Union, Britain and Canada have imposed simultaneous sanctions on dozens of officials, organizations and companies in Belarus.

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EU urged not to forget Belarus as bloc prepares sanctions

Read full article: EU urged not to forget Belarus as bloc prepares sanctions

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is appealing to the European Union not to forget the plight of ordinary citizens and political prisoners in the former Soviet country.

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Belarus forces US to close public diplomacy, USAID offices

Read full article: Belarus forces US to close public diplomacy, USAID offices

Belarus has forced the closure of the U.S. Embassy’s Public Diplomacy and USAID offices in a move that comes amid the tensions with the U.S. and its allies over Belarusian authorities’ crackdown on protests.

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Belarus opposition leader warns of border migration crisis

Read full article: Belarus opposition leader warns of border migration crisis

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for the global community to stop a “humanitarian catastrophe” which she said is being created by the Belarusian regime as it facilitates largescale migration into the European Union.

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Activists, WHO in the frame as Nobel Peace guessing starts

Read full article: Activists, WHO in the frame as Nobel Peace guessing starts

The annual Nobel Peace Prize, to be announced Oct. 8, shines the brightest of lights on the person or group thought to have done most to promote peace.

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Belarus blocks news site after deaths of dissident, KGB

Read full article: Belarus blocks news site after deaths of dissident, KGB

Belarusian authorities have blocked access to another news site, the latest in a series of steps restricting independent media in the country after it was shaken by a wave of mass anti-government protests.

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Belarus court gives opposition activists lengthy sentences

Read full article: Belarus court gives opposition activists lengthy sentences

A court in Belarus has sentenced two leading opposition activists to lengthy prison terms, the latest move in the relentless crackdown Belarusian authorities have unleashed on dissent after last year’s anti-government protests.

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Leader says Belarus expects big shipment of Russian weapons

Read full article: Leader says Belarus expects big shipment of Russian weapons

The authoritarian leader of Belarus says the country will soon receive a large batch of Russian weapons, including dozens of combat jets, helicopters and top-of-the-line air defense missile systems.

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Lithuanian migrant crisis enters new phase as influx ceases

Read full article: Lithuanian migrant crisis enters new phase as influx ceases

Lithuanian officials say a recent influx of thousands of migrants from neighboring Belarus appears to have stopped.

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Belarus denies entry to US ambassador, cuts US Embassy staff

Read full article: Belarus denies entry to US ambassador, cuts US Embassy staff

Belarus says it has rescinded its permission for the U.S. ambassador's appointment and told the U.S. to cut its embassy staff in retaliation for Washington’s sanctions.

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Belarus sees a year of fierce repression after disputed vote

Read full article: Belarus sees a year of fierce repression after disputed vote

President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since taking power in 1994.

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UK 'on your side', Johnson tells Belarus opposition leader

Read full article: UK 'on your side', Johnson tells Belarus opposition leader

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met with the Belarusian opposition leader at his office, saying the U.K. is “on her side” and committed to supporting human rights in her country.

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Belarus opposition leader seeks new US, European sanctions

Read full article: Belarus opposition leader seeks new US, European sanctions

The leader of Belarus’ embattled opposition hopes the United States and Europe will impose new sanctions on money-making government enterprises that will lead to the collapse of President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime and a peaceful transition that pro-democracy supporters are preparing for because “it can happen very fast.”.

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Biden backs embattled democracy movement in Belarus

Read full article: Biden backs embattled democracy movement in Belarus

President Joe Biden is speaking out for embattled pro-democracy forces in Belarus.

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Belarus shuts more civil society groups in wide crackdown

Read full article: Belarus shuts more civil society groups in wide crackdown

Belarusian authorities have announced the closure of 15 nongovernmental organizations as part of the continuing crackdown on civil society activists and independent media.

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Belarus leader vows to keep up raids of NGOs, media outlets

Read full article: Belarus leader vows to keep up raids of NGOs, media outlets

The longtime leader of Belarus vowed Thursday to continue a crackdown on civil society activists he regards as “bandits and foreign agents.”.

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Blinken meets Belarus opposition leader as criticism mounts

Read full article: Blinken meets Belarus opposition leader as criticism mounts

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Belarus' main opposition leader as the United States steps up criticism of the government in Minsk for a widening crackdown on dissent following disputed elections last year.

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Belarus arrests 3 journalists in continuing media crackdown

Read full article: Belarus arrests 3 journalists in continuing media crackdown

Authorities in Belarus have raided the offices of an independent newspaper and detained three of its journalists as part of a relentless crackdown on media outlets and civil society activists.

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Belarus expands crackdown on independent media

Read full article: Belarus expands crackdown on independent media

Authorities in Belarus raided the homes and offices of independent media outlets and civil society activists, widening a crackdown on opposition in the ex-Soviet nation.

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Lithuania struggles with migrant influx opened by Belarus

Read full article: Lithuania struggles with migrant influx opened by Belarus

Scores of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have crossed the border into Lithuania from Belarus in recent weeks.

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Belarus' presidential hopeful gets 14-year prison sentence

Read full article: Belarus' presidential hopeful gets 14-year prison sentence

The highest court in Belarus has convicted an aspiring rival to the nation’s authoritarian president on corruption charges that he rejected as politically motivated.

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Belarus cuts cooperation on migration with EU over sanctions

Read full article: Belarus cuts cooperation on migration with EU over sanctions

Belarus has retaliated to the European Union sanctions by halting cooperation on stemming illegal migration and denying entry to EU officials.

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Jailed Belarus journalist, girlfriend moved to house arrest

Read full article: Jailed Belarus journalist, girlfriend moved to house arrest

The dissident Belarusian journalist and his Russian girlfriend who were arrested after being pulled off a flight that was diverted to Minsk have been transferred from jail to house arrest.

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Closed trial begins for Belarus opposition leader's husband

Read full article: Closed trial begins for Belarus opposition leader's husband

A closed trial for the husband of Belarus' opposition leader has begun at a jail in the city of Gomel.

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AP Interview: Belarus regime 'frightened,' says opponent

Read full article: AP Interview: Belarus regime 'frightened,' says opponent

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says President Alexander Lukashenko may have miscalculated last month by diverting a Ryanair passenger jet to Minsk, where a dissident journalist aboard was arrested.

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EU, US, UK, Canada join forces to slap sanctions on Belarus

Read full article: EU, US, UK, Canada join forces to slap sanctions on Belarus

The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada have joined forces to impose sanctions on several officials in Belarus over the forced diversion of a Ryanair flight to Minsk last month.

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Belarus opposition leader urges international probe of govt

Read full article: Belarus opposition leader urges international probe of govt

A Belarusian opposition leader has called for the creation of an international tribunal to investigate and prosecute the reported crimes of her country's government and its authoritarian leader of nearly 27 years.

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Navalny daughter accepts human rights award on his behalf

Read full article: Navalny daughter accepts human rights award on his behalf

The daughter of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has made a rare public appearance to accept a human rights award on his behalf.

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Lithuania says Belarus could be behind recent migrant influx

Read full article: Lithuania says Belarus could be behind recent migrant influx

Lithuania is seeing a growing number of migrants entering the Baltic country from neighboring Belarus in recent weeks.

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Polish PM vows support for Belarusians after ally's remark

Read full article: Polish PM vows support for Belarusians after ally's remark

Poland's prime minister is vowing that the government will always support the Belarusian people struggling for democracy.

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Belarus opposition slams dissident TV confessions as coerced

Read full article: Belarus opposition slams dissident TV confessions as coerced

Belarusian opposition activists say a dissident journalist was coerced to appear in a video on state TV in which he wept and praised the country’s authoritarian ruler.

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Belarusians increasingly cornered after EU cuts air links

Read full article: Belarusians increasingly cornered after EU cuts air links

Many people who want to leave Belarus to avoid the growing repression under authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko now find themselves increasingly cornered.

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Belarusians who fled crackdown fearful after diverted flight

Read full article: Belarusians who fled crackdown fearful after diverted flight

Thousands of Belarusians who have fled the former Soviet nation amid a brutal crackdown on dissent are shocked by the forced diversion of a passenger jet to arrest an opposition journalist.

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EXPLAINER: What was behind a jet's diversion to Belarus?

Read full article: EXPLAINER: What was behind a jet's diversion to Belarus?

The diversion of a Ryanair flight to Lithuania by Belarus, leading to the arrest of an opposition journalist who was a passenger, has drawn international outrage and sanctions by the European Union.

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Belarus opposition figure detained when flight diverted

Read full article: Belarus opposition figure detained when flight diverted

A prominent opponent of Belarus’ authoritarian president has been arrested after the airliner in which he was traveling was diverted to the country after a bomb threat.

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Belarus leader bristles at criminal complaint in Germany

Read full article: Belarus leader bristles at criminal complaint in Germany

Belarus’ authoritarian leader has bristled at a criminal complaint filed against him in Germany over his violent crackdown on protests that broke out after his disputed re-election in August.

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Belarus opposition leader in Slovenia before EU presidency

Read full article: Belarus opposition leader in Slovenia before EU presidency

The exiled Belarusian opposition leader has called for sustained international focus on the struggle for democracy in her country against long-ruling authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

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Belarus leader in Moscow for talks on closer ties

Read full article: Belarus leader in Moscow for talks on closer ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his Belarusian counterpart for talks on closer integration between the two ex-Soviet neighbors.

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Belarus opens terrorism probe against opposition leader

Read full article: Belarus opens terrorism probe against opposition leader

FILE - In this Saturday, March 20, 2021 file photo, Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, right, poses for photos with demonstrators during a protest demanding freedom for political prisoners in Belarus at the Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania. Belarus authorities on Monday March 29, 2021, announced a criminal probe against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the nation's top opposition figure, on charges of terrorism, a move that follows a sweeping police crackdown on protesters demanding the resignation of the country's authoritarian leader. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File)KYIV – Belarus authorities on Monday announced a criminal probe against the nation's top opposition figure on charges of terrorism, a move that follows a sweeping police crackdown on protesters demanding the resignation of the country's authoritarian leader. Belarus' Prosecutor General Andrei Shved said his office has launched a criminal investigation against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the top opposition candidate who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko in a presidential vote in August. Earlier this month, Lithuania dismissed Belarus's demand to extradite Tsikhanouskaya, with the Baltic nation’s foreign minister saying that “hell will freeze over first.”

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Hundreds arrested in Belarus 'Freedom Day' protest

Read full article: Hundreds arrested in Belarus 'Freedom Day' protest

People carry a giant historical flag of Belarus during a celebration 103rd anniversary of the declaration of the Belarusian People's Respublic, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, March 25, 2021. Freedom Day is an unofficial holiday in Belarus celebrated on 25 March to commemorate the declaration of independence by the Belarusian Democratic Republic on that date in 1918. The Thursday protest marked the anniversary of the 1918 declaration of the Belarus People's Republic, an independent state that lasted only a few months before the Red Army moved in. The opposition traditionally observes the anniversary as the country's unofficial Freedom Day. The arrests came a day after their leader, AndĹĽelika Borys, was sentenced to 15 days in jail for holding unauthorized mass events.

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Belarus journalist sentenced for report on protester's death

Read full article: Belarus journalist sentenced for report on protester's death

Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich, seen in cage, attend a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. On Tuesday, the Moskovsky District Court in Minsk sentenced Barysevich to six months in prison and a fine equivalent to $1,100. (Sergei Sheleg/BelTA Pool Photo via AP)KYIV – A court in Belarus on Tuesday handed a half-year prison sentence to a journalist on charges of revealing personal data in her report on the death of a protester, part of authorities’ crackdown on demonstrations against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. On Tuesday, the Moskovsky District Court in Minsk sentenced Barysevich to six months in prison and a fine equivalent to $1,100. Last month, two other journalists in Belarus were convicted of violating public order and sentenced to two years in prison after they covered an opposition protest.

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Former presidential hopeful goes on trial in Belarus

Read full article: Former presidential hopeful goes on trial in Belarus

Viktor Babariko, the former head of Russia-owned Belgazprombank, gestures a heart symbol sitting in a cage in a court room in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. Viktor Babariko, the former head of Russia-owned Belgazprombank, has been jailed since June on corruption and money-laundering charges. The 57-year-old Babariko could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted at the trial in the Supreme Court of Belarus, the country's highest. The president sought to cast Babariko's election bid as part of efforts by Belarus' main sponsor, Russia, to exert pressure on his government and try to weaken the country's independence. “That was deadly dangerous for Lukashenko.”But facing Western sanctions over the vote-rigging and the crackdown on protests, Lukashenko has come to rely increasingly on Moscow's subsidies and political support.

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Belarus targets journalists, activists in new raids

Read full article: Belarus targets journalists, activists in new raids

Authorities in Belarus have raided the homes and offices of journalists and human rights activists. Police searched the offices of the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Viasna human rights center, as well as the apartments of its members. (AP Photo)KYIV – Authorities in Belarus raided homes and offices of journalists and human rights activists Tuesday in the latest move to squelch protests against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. The leader of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Andrei Bastunets, was one of those detained and later released. “This is an attempt to intimidate journalists and human rights activists who have been telling the world about the unbelievable scale of repressions,” said Viasna's deputy head Valiantsin Stefanovic.

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Belarus leader vows to defeat foreign-backed 'rebellion'

Read full article: Belarus leader vows to defeat foreign-backed 'rebellion'

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers his speech to delegates of the All-Belarus People's Assembly in Minsk, Belarus, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Belarus authoritarian leader has denounced six months of protests against his rule as a foreign-directed rebellion and vowed to resist the pressure, as he spoke at the All-Belarus Peoples Assembly. Lukashenko didn’t elaborate, but in the past several months, he has repeatedly accused the West of fomenting the protests. On Thursday, he said the West had incited the protests in Belarus as a “bridgehead” against Russia. Ad“It's deadly dangerous for Russia to lose Belarus,” Lukashenko said, adding that the two countries planned massive joint military drills later this year.

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In winter's quiet, Belarus opposition prepares new protests

Read full article: In winter's quiet, Belarus opposition prepares new protests

But opposition forces are preparing to turn up the heat in the spring and observers say Lukashenko doesn't have a clear strategy to overcome new unrest. But harsh actions by security forces have only temporarily muted the protests, Shraibman said. ___LUKASHENKO PLAYS FOR TIMEA $1.5 billion loan from the Kremlin and a promise to send in Russian security forces if Lukashenko requests them helped Lukashenko maintain control over the security forces and officials. During the period of mass protests, Lukashenko talked about “the decline of the presidential life” and possible resignation, but then he stopped such statements. The opposition aims to resume its mass actions on March 25, the anniversary of the 1918 declaration of a short-lived independent Belarus.

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EXPLAINER: How Nobel Peace Prize nominations come about

Read full article: EXPLAINER: How Nobel Peace Prize nominations come about

Belarusian opposition figures, Hong Kong-pro-democracy activists, the Black Lives Matter movement, a jailed Russian opposition leader and two former White House senior advisers are among this years nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. There is no shortage of causes or candidates for the Norwegian Nobel Committee to consider for what arguably remains the world’s most prestigious prize. Here's a look at the Nobel nomination process:WHO CAN NOMINATE CANDIDATES FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE? The U.N. World Food Program won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. The peace prize and other Nobel awards are presented to the winners on Dec. 10, the anniversary of founder Alfred Nobel’s death.

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Decision on Belarus hockey worlds near amid sponsor pressure

Read full article: Decision on Belarus hockey worlds near amid sponsor pressure

DÜSSELDORF – DÜThe International Ice Hockey Federation will make a decision in the coming days on whether to pull its world championship from Belarus as pressure increases from sponsors over a crackdown on opposition groups in the country. “If we cancel the games in Minsk, I think we should make a decision until the end of the month. This is the maximum, as we have to choose another place where we can play the championship," IIHF president Rene Fasel told The Associated Press in a recent interview. Fasel met with longtime Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Monday, saying he wanted to use the tournament to build bridges between Lukashenko and the opposition. Fasel is due to step down as IIHF president later this year after 27 years in charge.

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Belarus leader defends hosting hockey worlds, ridicules US

Read full article: Belarus leader defends hosting hockey worlds, ridicules US

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko defended his country’s ability to host the ice hockey world championship on Monday by ridiculing the United States following the violent attack at the Capitol. The authoritarian leader met with International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel for talks amid calls to move the world championship following mass protests against Lukashenko’s rule. “In our country, protesters and other dissatisfied people don’t storm government agencies and capitols,” Lukashenko said. Authorities have cracked down hard on the largely peaceful demonstrations, the biggest of which attracted up to 200,000 people. Lukashenko has been president of the Belarus Olympic Committee since the 1990s and Fasel is an IOC member who previously sat on the executive committee.

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Pro-democracy activists heartened by US system's resilience

Read full article: Pro-democracy activists heartened by US system's resilience

Hong Kong police tightened their grip on the city's embattled democracy movement, making 53 arrests Wednesday. Lee faces charges of unlawful assembly for organizing a banned pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong last year. Exiled in London, Hong Kong activist Nathan Law says the U.S. system demonstrated its resilience against mob violence. But in Morocco, human rights activist Abdellatif El Hamamouchi was excited by what he saw as a stunning failure for Trump. —-Soo reported from Hong Kong; Leicester reported from Le Pecq, France.

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Virus besets Belarus prisons filled with president's critics

Read full article: Virus besets Belarus prisons filled with president's critics

He accused the government of allowing the virus to run wild among those jailed for political reasons. Liava was detained while he was covering a protest in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, for the independent Belsat TV channel. The day after he left prison, Liava said, he tested positive for COVID-19, and a CT scan showed that his lungs were badly affected. He said he and four of his colleagues who were arrested all contracted the virus in custody. “We must cry out loud about an outbreak of COVID-19 in jails overcrowded with political prisoners.”___Follow AP’s virus pandemic coverage at:https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemichttps://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccinehttps://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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EU adds dozens more Belarus officials to sanctions list

Read full article: EU adds dozens more Belarus officials to sanctions list

Opposition activist Nina Baginskaya, 73, center, struggles with police during a Belarusian opposition supporters rally at Independence Square in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. Police in Belarus have dispersed protesters who gathered on the capital's central square, detaining dozens. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)BRUSSELS – The European Union on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions on Belarus, targeting dozens more officials over their role in the security crackdown launched after the contested presidential elections in August. Last month, the EU added Lukashenko and his son Viktor, who is Belarus' national security adviser, to the sanctions list. Thursday’s move means that the EU has now imposed sanctions on a total of 88 people and seven “entities,” usually organizations, companies or banks.

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Belarus opposition calls for EU support as it collects prize

Read full article: Belarus opposition calls for EU support as it collects prize

The European Union has awarded its top human rights prize to the Belarusian democratic opposition. We ask Europe and the whole world to stand with Belarus,” Tsikhanouskaya told lawmakers in Brussels as she collected the Sakharov Prize, which was awarded by the European Parliament to the Belarus opposition in October. “Standing for democracy and human rights is not interference, but it is duty of each self-respecting country,” she told EU lawmakers, speaking in English. Belarus authorities have cracked down hard on the largely peaceful demonstrations, the biggest of which attracted up to 200,000 people. According to human rights advocates, more than 30,000 people have been detained since the protests began, and thousands were brutally beaten.

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Protesters in Belarus keep pushing for leader's resignation

Read full article: Protesters in Belarus keep pushing for leader's resignation

Protests in Belarus have continued for almost four months after President Alexander Lukashenko won his sixth term in office in an election the opposition says was rigged. Demonstrators carrying red-and-white flags, the symbol of the protest, gathered in groups and marched down residential areas of the city, demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko. Over 200 people have been detained during protests, according to the Viasna human rights center. Videos of the rallies posted on social media showed security forces chasing and detaining protesters in courtyards in residential areas. Four people are reported to have died as the result of the government's crackdown on demonstrators and opposition supporters.

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Over 300 detained in Belarus during protests against leader

Read full article: Over 300 detained in Belarus during protests against leader

Protests in Belarus have continued for almost four months after President Alexander Lukashenko won his sixth term in office in an election the opposition says was rigged. Police in Minsk said they detained more than 300 people. The Viasna human rights group released the names of 215 people detained in Minsk and other cities, where rallies also took place. At least four journalists have been detained in Minsk and the western city of Grodno, according the Belarusian Association of Journalists. On Friday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement that the situation with human rights in Belarus is getting worse.

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Over 300 detained in Belarus during anti-government protests

Read full article: Over 300 detained in Belarus during anti-government protests

KYIV – A human rights group in Belarus says over 300 people have been detained during Sunday protests against the country’s authoritarian president, who won his sixth term in office in a vote widely seen as rigged. The protests took place in Minsk, the capital, and other cities and attracted thousands of people. Nearly 250 demonstrators were detained in Minsk alone, police said. More than 300 people have been detained all across the country, according to the group. “I will support everyone who takes part in the Neighbors' March this Sunday,” Tsikhanouskaya said in a video statement.

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Belarus pensioners march demanding leader's resignation

Read full article: Belarus pensioners march demanding leader's resignation

Belarusian pensioners wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus attend an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. Large crowds of retirees have protested in the Belarusian capital to demand the resignation of the country's authoritarian leader who won his sixth term in office in a disputed election. Over 2,000 pensioners marched down a central avenue in Minsk in what has turned into a regular Monday rally. Mass protests gripped Belarus since official results from the Aug. 9 presidential election gave President Alexander Lukashenko a landslide victory over his widely popular opponent Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Belarus' Interior Ministry said Monday that 345 people were detained during protests across the country a day earlier.

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Retirees protest Belarus leader on 100th day since vote

Read full article: Retirees protest Belarus leader on 100th day since vote

“Lukashenko, you and my children will remember this disgrace,” said one of the banners the retirees carried. Such protests have roiled Belarus ever since the Aug. 9 election handed Lukashenko a crushing victory over his widely popular opponent Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. According to human rights advocates, over 19,000 people have been detained since the election. The Interior Ministry said over 700 people were detained Sunday across the country, while the Viasna human rights center put the figure at 1,291. Support media (and) human rights defenders.

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Club-wielding police in Belarus arrest over 500 protesters

Read full article: Club-wielding police in Belarus arrest over 500 protesters

Police detain a man during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. (AP Photo)KYIV – Club-swinging police went after demonstrators in Belarus' capital who were demanding the resignation of the country’s authoritarian president on Sunday, the 90th consecutive day of protests. The human rights organization Viasna said 548 people were arrested in all, including well-known model Olga Khizhinkova, a former Miss Belarus. The wave of protests, unprecedented in their size and duration, began after the Aug. 9 election that official results say gave President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. In these 90 days, Belarusians made the regime understand that they have lost legitimacy and authority,” she said.

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Disabled hold rally in Belarus to demand president step down

Read full article: Disabled hold rally in Belarus to demand president step down

(AP Photo/Ronald Zak)KYIV – More than 200 disabled people rallied in Belarus' capital Thursday, continuing a nearly three-month wave of protests triggered by the disputed reelection of the country's authoritarian leader. They demonstrated in Minsk’s central avenue chanting “Go away!” and “Your time is over!” to demand President Alexander Lukashenko’s resignation. The United States and the European Union have rejected the Belarusian vote as neither free nor fair and introduced sanctions against Belarusian officials accused of involvement in vote-rigging and the post-election crackdown. Tsikhanouskaya, who moved to Lithuania after the vote under pressure from Belarusian authorities, has pushed for Lukashenko's resignation and a new election. “We want to see the country as it was before the election,” Lukashenko said at an award ceremony on Thursday.

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Western nations decry Belarus crackdown at UN rights review

Read full article: Western nations decry Belarus crackdown at UN rights review

Police detain a demonstrator during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. Police used stun grenades and fired warning shots in the air to break up the crowds. Over 15,000 people have been detained since the election, and rights activists say over 100 of them are political prisoners. French ambassador Francois Rivasseau said France remained “extremely concerned” by the rights situation in Belarus, calling on its government to release all people held arbitrarily. Belarus ambassador Yury Ambrazevich said there was a “complex situation” in his country after the presidential elections, and said officials in Belarus had already discussed them.

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Thousands protest in Belarus amid continued crackdown

Read full article: Thousands protest in Belarus amid continued crackdown

People help a woman after she collided with a police during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. at Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who won his sixth term in an Aug. 9 election that is widely seen as rigged. Police detained over 250 people in Minsk and other Belarusian cities where protests were held Sunday, according to the Viasna center. They said the move was intended to stem the spread of the coronavirus, although officials previously accused neighboring countries of trying to destabilize Belarus. Foreigners, however, are allowed to travel into Belarus via the Minsk National Airport.

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Nearly 3 months after vote, Belarus protests still go strong

Read full article: Nearly 3 months after vote, Belarus protests still go strong

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has relied on massive arrests and intimidation tactics to hold on to power despite nearly three months of protests sparked by his re-election to a sixth term, but continuing protests have cast an unprecedented challenge to his 26-year rule. By putting forward an ultimatum to Lukashenko to resign by Oct. 25 or face the strike, Tsikhanouskaya has managed to mobilize and re-invigorate her supporters after nearly three months of protests. About 200,000 demonstrators flooded the Belarusian capital last Sunday, one of the biggest rallies since the protests began. The Kremlin has backed Lukashenko amid Western pressure and provided a $1.5-billion loan to help refinance Belarus' debt to Russia. “Lukashenko has failed to quash the protests in nearly three months, and that shows the scale of discontent in the country and pushes the Kremlin to search for new scenarios and partners in Belarus,” Karbalevich said.

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Belarus shuts its borders, Lukashenko reshuffles officials

Read full article: Belarus shuts its borders, Lukashenko reshuffles officials

Belarus' Border Control Committee said the closure of borders with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine is intended to stem the coronavirus infection. The move, however, follows Belarusian officials' claims that its neighbors have tried to destabilize the situation in the country. The border with Belarus' giant eastern neighbor, Russia, has remained open. Tsikhanouskaya charged that the Belarusian government's decision to shut the border and a reshuffle of top officials reflected Lukashenko's nervousness. “The closure of the borders and the latest appointments signal the weakening of his authority,” Tsikhanouskaya said, commenting on Lukashenko's latest moves.

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