Tag Archives: Alexander Lukashenko

Several airlines said on Monday they would avoid Belarusian air space after Belarus scrambled a warplane to intercept a Ryanair jetliner and arrest a dissident journalist in an act denounced by Western powers as “state piracy”. The European Union was considering responding to Sunday’s incident by limiting international air traffic …

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered a Ryanair flight headed for Lithuania and carrying a young opposition blogger to land in Belarus on Sunday and detained him on arrival, prompting Lithuania to call for a NATO response. Law enforcers detained activist Roman Protasevich, 26, who had been put on a wanted …

European Union leaders will take part in a virtual conference to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Belarus, President of the European Council Charles Michel announced after the bloc threatened sanctions on Minsk. The emergency meeting will be held on Wednesday, Michel said on Twitter. “The people of Belarus have …

Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, said on Monday he would be ready to hold new elections and hand over power after a constitutional referendum, an attempt to pacify mass protests and strikes that pose the biggest challenge yet to his rule. He made the offer, which he insisted would …

Crowds gathered in Prague and Warsaw on Sunday to show their support for protesters in Belarus who are demanding President Alexander Lukashenko step down after what they say was his fraudulent re-election a week ago. A large white and red Belarusian flag was placed at the centre of a heart …

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko was under growing pressure on Sunday with rival protests due to converge on the capital a week after a contested presidential election that has thrown his country into turmoil. Lukashenko, in power for 26 years, has faced down a week of street demonstrations and refused demands …

The leaders of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have called on Belarus to hold “free and fair” elections following its disputed presidential vote. In a joint statement, the three prime ministers called for a new election to be held with the involvement of international observers. Mass protests erupted after President Alexander …

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday he wanted to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning street protests were not just a threat to Belarus. Mass unrest followed Lukashenko’s re-election victory last week, as tens of thousands of people took to the streets accusing him of rigging the vote. …

Belarusian authorities have released about 1,000 people detained amid demonstrations contesting the results of the presidential election, in an attempt to assuage public anger against a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and avoid Western sanctions. Crowds of demonstrators have swarmed the streets daily to contest the official results of Sunday’s …

Belarusian police detained about 700 people on the fourth night of protests following President Alexander Lukashenko’s contested election victory, the former Soviet republic’s interior ministry said on Thursday. Security forces have clashed daily with protesters since Lukashenko claimed a landslide re-election victory in a vote on Sunday that his opponents …

A day after declaring victory in a presidential election in Belarus, leading opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya fled the country for Lithuania and released two video messages to her supporters under apparent duress. On Monday, the 37-year-old Tikhonovskaya—who had refused to concede victory to President Alexander Lukashenko in what critics called …

New clashes between police and protesters broke out in Belarus on Monday after the opposition accused President Alexander Lukashenko of rigging his re-election victory to a chorus of criticism from Western leaders. A Reuters witness saw police dragging protesters out of a crowd and beating them with truncheons in Minsk, …

Belarus police fired stun grenades and began detentions in a crackdown on protests that erupted as President Alexander Lukashenko was set to claim another election win on Sunday in the face of the biggest challenge in years to his grip on power. Thousands of people took to the streets of …

Belarus’ incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko wins landslide victory in the presidential elections, exit poll shows. An exit poll conducted at the request of Mir TV shows Lukashenko is winning with 79.7% of the vote. Main opposition challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya comes second with 6.8%, according to the poll. Results are expected …

Authorities in Belarus have announced the arrest of more than 30 Russian mercenaries accused of trying “to destabilize” the country ahead of August’s presidential election, the state-run news agency Belta reported. The detentions come as tensions grow between the neighboring countries and as a rift emerges between their two strongmen …

Belarusian police detained at least 250 people during protests after the authorities refused to register President Alexander Lukashenko’s two main rivals as candidates in a presidential election, rights group Vesna 96 said on Wednesday. Vesna 96 published a list of all those it said had been detained on Tuesday following …