Belarus

Iraq Recalls More Than 400 Migrants from Belarus
Belarus, Iraq, News

Iraq Recalls More Than 400 Migrants from Belarus

Iraq collects hundreds of compatriots from Belarus. They return voluntarily because they fail to enter the European Union at the heavily guarded border with Poland.   An Iraqi Airways plane takes an estimated 430 migrants, mostly Kurds, to Erbil and Baghdad on Thursday afternoon. The Iraqi government had announced the move earlier this week. Kurds from Iraq and Syria are a significant part of the group of some 4,000 migrants and refugees trying to enter Poland, Lithuania or Latvia through the forests. EU countries have accused President Alexander Lukashenko's regime of months of staging a migrant crisis in retaliation for European sanctions. People were able to fly to the country without any problems but encountered soldiers and barbed wire in the freezing cold at the border. A 3...
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Calls for Continued Pressure on Lukashenko’s Regime
Belarus, Europe, News

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Calls for Continued Pressure on Lukashenko’s Regime

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader, has called on European countries in Berlin to continue to put pressure on President Aleksandr Lukashenko's regime.   She asks the European Union to impose even more sanctions. Tichanovskaya has raised in a press conference in Berlin that the pressure on Lukashenko's regime must be exerted both inside and outside Belarus. In addition to the demonstrations of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians, she calls on all leaders to make their voices heard. "Our country needs different kinds of assistance, but we especially need mediation to initiate dialogue with our authorities and negotiations, so I am sure that Ms Angela Merkel will be very helpful in this situation," said Tikhanovskaya. Last week, European heads of state or gov...
President Alexandr Lukashenko Has Limited Support From the Government of Russia
Belarus, News, Russia

President Alexandr Lukashenko Has Limited Support From the Government of Russia

The controversial Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko has limited support from the government of Russia.   "I see that Putin supports him, but not overly actively", Tichanovskaja (38), who has fled under pressure to Lithuania. She is currently in Poland, where she takes part, among other things, in an economic forum. Lukashenko is in Russia on Monday for a "work meeting" with the Russian president, the Kremlin confirmed Friday. Putin has a wait-and-see attitude, Tichanovskaya sees. "He has not sent any soldiers, he is on the sidelines and observes," said the politician, who once again called on Moscow to respect its country's sovereignty. Putin has previously pledged aid to the neighbouring country. He has a police force on hand in case the massive protests against Lukashenk...
More Than 700 People Arrested During Demonstrations in Belarus
Belarus, News

More Than 700 People Arrested During Demonstrations in Belarus

More than seven hundred people were arrested during demonstrations in Belarus on Wednesday. The Ministry of the Interior has announced this.   It was the fourth consecutive day of protests against the election results. In recent days at least 6,700 people have been arrested by the Belarusian police. "The problems in the country will become massive in this way," said the ministry. "The degree of aggressiveness in the protests increases the police's readiness." The country's presidential elections were held last weekend. The incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko won it well against opposition leader Svetlana Tichanovskaya, according to the exit polls. The opposition says that fraud has taken place and that Tikhanovskaya is the actual winner. The opposition leader fled to Latvia...
EU Presidents Denounce Violence Against Belarusian Protesters
Belarus, Europe, News

EU Presidents Denounce Violence Against Belarusian Protesters

The Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council have criticized the violence against demonstrators in Belarus.   Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel call on the autocratic regime in Minsk to respect fundamental rights and freedoms. During and after Sunday's presidential elections, clashes between police and protesters took place in numerous places in Belarus. About 3000 protesters have been arrested. A protester would also have been killed and dozens injured. The Electoral Commission has declared incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko the winner. Opposition leader and rival candidate Svetlana Tichanovskaja do not recognize the result and calls for a recount of the votes. There is no place in Europe for the violent repression of peaceful protesters, Von de...
Voters in Belarus Can Vote for Presidential Elections From Tuesday
Belarus, News, Politics

Voters in Belarus Can Vote for Presidential Elections From Tuesday

Voters in Belarus can vote for Sunday's presidential elections from Tuesday. Then authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko (65) hopes to be re-elected.   The opposition fears fraud and calls on voters to wait a little longer to vote. Early voting is for people who don't have time this weekend, according to state media. Opposition candidate Svetlana Tichanovskaja does not trust the authorities and has asked supporters to vote only on the last day. Then there would be less time for tampering with ballot papers. 37-year-old Tichanovskaya has also called on followers to wear a white bracelet. In her opinion, independent observers can better estimate how much support there is for her candidacy. Observers also take into account cheating in the elections in the former Soviet state, whi...