Confusion surrounded the arrest of a Belarus opposition leader today after she was detained by border guards while trying to reach Ukraine. Maria Kolesnikova was arrested at the Aleksandrovka border crossing in the early hours of this morning in what Belarus called an ‘illegal’ attempt to flee the country. Border police made the extraordinary claim that … Read more
Belarus opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova was today bundled into a minibus by masked men in Minsk. Unidentified men seized the 38-year-old at around 10am and sped off in a vehicle marked ‘Communications,’ witnesses said. Her campaign team said her phone has been turned off and there was no comment from Minsk police. Kolesnikova is the only … Read more
Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that his security forces had intercepted German calls showing that Kremlin foe Alexei Navalny’s poisoning had been faked. Lukashenko told visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Minsk on Thursday that the call between Berlin and Warsaw showed that the incident was a ‘falsification’. ‘There was no poisoning of … Read more
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital of Belarus on Sunday, beginning a fourth week of daily protests demanding the resignation of the country’s authoritarian president after an election they call rigged gave him a sixth term in office. The protest at the ‘hero city’ monument honouring Minsk’s suffering and resilience during the … Read more
Vladimir Putin forms elite ‘spec ops force’ to intervene in Belarus if protests ‘get out of control’ Vladimir Putin said is he will intervene in Belarus if protests ‘get out of control’ He confirmed Russia has created a reserve police force to send to the country Added that move would honour joint defence pact Russia … Read more
Belarus today jailed two prominent activists for ten days as the country’s exiled opposition leader declared a ‘peaceful revolution’ is underway. Olga Kovalkova and Siarhei Dyleuski were brought before separate courts and jailed as protests continued against the 26-year rule of President Alexander Lukashenko. Kolvakova is the main representative still in Belarus of opposition candidate … Read more
The authorities in Belarus arrested two leading opposition figures on Monday and called a Nobel laureate in for questioning, a day after thousands of people defied the army to march demanding the downfall of president Alexander Lukashenko. Two weeks after an election which his opponents say he rigged, Lukashenko has shown little sign of bringing … Read more
The authoritarian president of Belarus made a dramatic show of defiance Sunday against the massive protests demanding his resignation, toting a rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest as he strode off a helicopter that landed at his residence while demonstrators massed nearby. It comes as tens of thousands of Belarusians joined an anti-government demonstration in … Read more
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko’s regime could fall within two weeks, a presidential hopeful has predicted. Valery Tsepkalo was barred from running against Lukashenko so his wife, Veronika, took up the mantle along with two other women – including leading figure Svetlana Tikhanouskaya. Speaking from Moscow last night, Mr Tsepkalo told Sky News that ‘nobody believes [Lukashenko] anymore.’ … Read more
Vladimir Putin threatens to intervene in Belarus to support ‘Europe’s last dictator’ Viktor Lukashenko as 200,000 people pour onto the streets protesting his ‘rigged’ reelection People called poured onto streets of Belarus calling for President’s resignation President Viktor Lukashenko launched a brutal crackdown after claiming victory Now Kremlin is looking at using a joint defence … Read more