Protesters and riot police have clashed Minsk and other cities of Belarus, after a state TV exit poll said long-time leader (26 years) Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in Sunday’s election. #BREAKING | Belarusian President Lukashenko leading with 80.23% of votes, election commission says https://t.co/Qnz3HXiabF#SputnikBreaking pic.twitter.com/1XosREyB9Y — Sputnik (@SputnikInt) August 10, 2020 In Minsk, the police…
Tag: Belarus
Lukashenko in whirlwind of political crisis
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is Europe’s longest-serving ruler and the 65-year-old former Soviet collective farm chairman now wants a sixth term as president. But in the run-up to the 9 August presidential election he has faced the biggest opposition protests for a decade. “An authoritarian style of rule is characteristic of me, and I have…
Borrell urges Belarus to respect political rights
The presidential elections in Belarus will take place this Sunday, 9 August, and early voting has already started. “During the electoral campaign, the Belarusian people have shown unprecedented political mobilisation in favour of free elections and democracy. The peaceful mobilisation of the society has been met so far with unacceptable further restrictions on freedoms of…
EU regrets Babaryka «arbitrary» exclusion
On 14 July, the Belarusian Central Electoral Commission announced that Siarhei Cherachen, Andrei Dzmitryev, Hanna Kanapatskaya, Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya were registered to stand in the Belarusian Presidential elections on 9 August. However, Viktar Babaryka was denied registration on the grounds that inconsistencies were allegedly found in his income and property declaration, and Valery…
EU prolongs Belarus arms embargo
Today the Council decided to prolong the restrictive measures against Belarus for one year, until 28 February 2021. These measures include an embargo on arms and on equipment that could be used for internal repression, as well as an asset freeze and travel ban against four people designated in connection with the unresolved disappearances of…
EU-Belarus visa facilitation
Today, the European Union and Belarus signed a visa facilitation agreement and a readmission agreement. The agreements represent an important step in EU-Belarus relations and pave the way for improved mobility of citizens, contributing to closer links between the EU and its Eastern Partnership neighbours. At today’s signing ceremony, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson,…
Russia-Belarus oil supply halt
Russia has stopped oil supplies to Belarus, resulting in reduced two oil refineries operations to the minimum acceptable level, a source in Belneftekhim Concern informed Russian TASS News agency on December 3. Russia halts oil supplies to Belarushttps://t.co/ODF8ZGsktV pic.twitter.com/KpAAzkFJK3 — TASS (@tassagency_en) January 3, 2020 “Russian oil is not delivered. The capacity of oil refineries…
Zapad-2017 Russian military drills
he Zapad-2017 (or West 2017) joint Russian-Belarusian military drills have kicked off in the two countries, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “Heads of military administrative bodies and commanders of units involved in the drills have received instructions from the General Staff of the Union State concerning their training tasks,” the statement reads….
NATO requests broader monitoring of Russia and Belarus
Russia and Belarus say the Zapad 2017 exercise, which runs from September 14-20 not far from the borders of NATO allies Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, will involve less than 13,000 troops, but NATO believes that number will actually be into six figures. Under international rules, the two should allow wider access to monitors if…
EU opposes death sentences in Belarus
Two death sentences have been handed down by the Mahilyow Regional Court in Belarus, to Mr Ihar Hershankow and Mr Syamyon Berazhny. The European Union is strongly opposed to capital punishment and expects that the legal right to appeal for both convicts will be fully guaranteed. “The continued application of the death penalty goes counter to Belarus’ stated willingness to engage with the international community. The death penalty violates the right to life and…
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