Aliaksei Reznikau: “Electroshock Hurts Only the First Two Times” — Torture, Colonies, Freedom After 4.5 Years
Thirty-eight-year-old Vitebsk resident Aliaksei Reznikau was detained in January 2022 and later sentenced to four and a half years in a colony on five political charges. During the investigation he was beaten and tortured with an …
376 “Extremist Formations”: The Repression Machine Targets Belarusians Abroad
Under dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka, Belarus’s repression machine increasingly focuses on people outside the country — trying to criminalize almost any international activity and attention to Belarus. As of 18 August 2026, the official lis…
Six Years Ago Minsk Saw Two Rallies. We Compare Their Scale in Two Photos
On 16 August 2020 Minsk hosted two rallies the same day: in the morning — support for dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka on Independence Square; in the afternoon — the Freedom March for fair elections at the Minsk — Hero Cit…
Six Years Since the Freedom March: On August 16, 2020, at Least 200,000 Took to Minsk
Six years ago, on August 16, 2020, Minsk saw the largest protest in modern Belarusian history: at least 200,000 people. Crowds gathered at the Minsk — Hero City stele, then marched along Independence Avenue. It was a reply to dictator Aliaksandr Luka…
Zashchitnik.BEL: Under Belarus’s Flag — Into Russia’s War Against Ukraine
A website called Zashchitnik.BEL appeared that effectively offered Belarusians a path to the war in Ukraine — on Russia’s side. It promised help with paperwork and accompaniment at every stage of the trip. It was designed to look Bela…
Belarus Ranks 132nd in the 2026 Prosperity Index — Worst Result in Europe
Belarus placed 132nd out of 161 countries in the Legatum Prosperity Index 2026 — the worst result among European states. Under dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka, the country still looks relatively solid on education an…
Alexander Milinkevich Dies — Unified Opposition Candidate of 2006 and Sakharov Prize Laureate
On August 11, 2026, Belarusian politician, scholar and former presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich died in Warsaw. He was 79. Journalist Ihar Kulei, stepson of the politician’s wife Inna Kulei, announced it on F…
“He Raised His Hands — and Fell”: How Alexander Taraikovsky Became the First Victim of Post-Election Repression
Six years ago, on August 10, 2020, during protests in Minsk, Alexander Taraikovsky was killed. He was 34. He became the first known victim of repression that began after the falsified presidential election. Video shows empty …
Six Years Since August 9, 2020: Falsified Election, Protest Crackdown, and Repression That Never Ended
On August 9, 2020, Belarus held a presidential election. According to the Central Election Commission, dictator Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% — more than four million votes. Experts from the Golos platform rec…
“Such a Dictatorship”: Five Bodyguards Shielded Lukashenko During a Family Photo in Vileika
On August 7, 2026, dictator Alexander Lukashenko paid a working visit to Vileika. On the street, the large Filistovich family from the village of Seditsa approached him — farmers raising 11 children. They …
Ales Pushkin: Jailed for His Art — Died in Prison From a Perforated Ulcer
Ales Pushkin was a renowned Belarusian artist and political prisoner. He was sentenced to 5 years in a strict-regime colony for “desecration of state symbols” (Art. 370) and “incitement of racial, national, religious …
“Russians Will Never Come From Belarusian Territory”: Gordon’s Interview With Lukashenko Three Days Before the Election — Six Years Later
A few days before the presidential election, on August 6, 2020, Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon published an interview with Alexander Lukashenko. Recorded on August 5 at the presidential palace, it lasted over 2.…
Sergey Mikhalko Sentenced in Absentia to 4 Years for “Insulting” the Dictator and “Inciting Hatred”
On August 4, 2026, the Minsk City Court in absentia sentenced musician Sergey Mikhalko to four years in a general-regime penal colony. The Minsk prosecutor’s office announced the verdict. The leader …
Human Rights in Belarus, July 2026
In July 2026, the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko continued systemic repression. By month’s end, human rights center Viasna recognized 883 political prisoners (Belsat). 39 new names were adde…
«Large-family quarter» on Volgogradskaya: flats went to dictator Lukashenko’s bodyguards
In 2025 Minsk finished a quarter of five 16-storey blocks on Volgogradskaya Street. City authorities promised homes for housing-queue families and large families. A Zerkalo investigation published by Nasha Niva show…
Five years of “extremism”: how Lukashenko’s regime outlawed Belsat
Exactly five years ago, on 27 July 2021, a court in Homiel’s Railway District declared the website and all social media accounts of Belsat TV “extremist materials.” Dictator Lukashenko’s regime turned independent media into a target of…
12 minors convicted for «crimes against the state» — what Belarus Supreme Court statistics show
In the first six months of 2026, Belarus convicted 12 minors for crimes «against the state and the procedure for exercising power and governance». This appears in court statistics published by the Supreme Court. Wha…
«Don’t ask how a mother lives without her children»: Anna Papay after «pardon»
In October 2025 Anna Papay last saw her sons in person — they came with their grandmother for a colony visit. In December she was «pardoned» and taken to Ukraine, then Poland. She now lives in Warsaw, works in a bak…
“The Russian lobby puts out everything”: three Belarusian clothing brands with national motifs closed in a week
Within just a few days, three Belarusian clothing and accessories brands built around national motifs — Honar, LSTR Adzieńnie and the ethno-shop Ragna — announced they were shutting down. None gave reasons on social…
Belarusian writer Sviatlana Kurs (Eva Vezhnavets) has died
On 20 July 2026, Belarusian writer, journalist and translator Sviatlana Kurs, known by the literary pseudonym Eva Vezhnavets, passed away. She was 54. She had spent the past year fighting cancer. Her family announced her…
32 years ago: Lukashenko’s first inauguration under the white-red-white flag
On 20 July 1994 the Oval Hall of the Government House in Minsk hosted the first presidential inauguration in independent Belarus’s history. Alexander Lukashenko took the oath in Belarusian, a military band played th…
“Woman is the main thing”: Year of the Belarusian Woman merch features Lukashenko’s portrait
Authorities launched a “people’s merch” for the Year of the Belarusian Woman declared by dictator Lukashenko: T-shirts with the slogan “Woman is the main thing. As she says — so it shall be!” The illustration is not a famous Belarusian woman, b…
«Who didn’t check will have problems»: Belarusian NPP purges specialists while 160 jobs sit open
The Belarusian NPP is seeking more than 160 employees — offering salaries up to ten thousand rubles and service housing — while «political» purges continue. Zerkalo reported the dismissal of defectoscopy lab chief V…
She wanted to mark her birthday with her family. Aliaksandra Kasko was given ten years
Aliaksandra Kasko is a Belarusian political prisoner, a medic from Vawkavysk. She was detained on 9 February 2023, after coming from Poland. First there was an administrative jail term, then a criminal case. She told a friend she was coming back to m…
He went home for a passport. Arkadz Kaichurenka was given five years
He went home for a passport. An ordinary errand turned into five years in a penal colony and a car sold under the hammer. Arkadz Andreevich Kaichurenka was born on 24 March 1974 in Hrodna. He lived abroad and came back to renew his passport: since Se…
Alexievich at MALDZIS: for dialogue — not reconciliation with the regime
Nobel laureate Sviatlana Alexievich, speaking at MALDZIS Fest in Warsaw, argued for dialogue — including with those who stayed under dictator Lukashenko’s regime. Not reconciliation. And not a bet on “sanctions alone.” On 13 July the second inte…
Nina Bahinskaya stopped on the street — officers took a book from her bag
Security forces stopped known activist Nina Bahinskaya on the street. Without explanation they searched her belongings and took a book from her bag, eyewitnesses told Belsat. Which book it was is unknown. She was not taken to the polic…
Gerasimenya attacked in Warsaw: punched at the bus station
An unknown man punched Aliaksandra Gerasimenya in the head from behind and fled at once. It happened on the morning of 10 July at Warszawa Zachodnia bus station. Charter97.org editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina first reported the as…
Warsaw honors Ales Pushkin: living chain at Copernicus
On 12 July Belarusians in Warsaw held a memorial for artist and political prisoner Ales Pushkin, who died three years ago. Dozens formed a living chain at Nicolaus Copernicus Square with portraits of victims of dictator Lukashenko’s regime. They…
Uladzimir Nyaklyayew turns 80. The poet the regime beat, tried, and forced out
Uladzimir Nyaklyayew turns 80. Official papers say July 9; the writer marks his real birthday on July 11. He celebrates in Wrocław — in yet another forced exile. Coverage by Nasha Niva, Belsat and Charter’97. On July 11 a literary…
Zelensky changed his rhetoric on Lukashenko: from “no borders” to sanctions
In 2019 Volodymyr Zelensky said Belarus and Ukraine had no borders. In 2026 he imposed personal sanctions on dictator Lukashenko and demanded the dismantling of retransmitters in the Brest and Homiel regions. Between those points: war, a vassal regim…
She Fled Dictator Lukashenko’s “Chemistry” — and Drew Her Fear with Acrylic Markers
Belarusian Irina — just over twenty — fled dictator Lukashenko’s “chemistry” sentence and in Lithuania used acrylic markers to draw her arrest, Okrestina, Volodarka, and escape. Not photographs — drawings of one of the scariest peri…
Lukashenko Missed Independence Day for the First Time Since 1997
On Friday, July 3, dictator Lukashenko missed every event marking Belarus Independence Day. It is the first time since 1997 — when a referendum moved the holiday from July 27 to July 3. That is the conclusion of Zerkalo, which reviewed…
Dictator’s Aircraft Escorted by Fighters: Lukashenko Flew to Indonesia Under Air Force Guard
Dictator Alexander Lukashenko flew to Indonesia escorted by foreign fighter jets. The footage captured three military aircraft and the Belarusian presidential plane in mid-air — as Charter’97 and KP.RU report. On July 1, the…
Lukashenko Pardoned 32 People. 28 of Them Are Political Prisoners
Dictator Lukashenko pardoned 32 convicts on July 1, 2026 — ahead of the “Independence Day” the regime marks on July 3. Of them, 28 people are political prisoners: the authorities call their cases “extremist-relat…
Scared and gone? Lukashenko launched a major East and Southeast Asia tour amid Zelensky’s ultimatum
28 June 2026. After two days at Valdai with Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko set off on a “large comprehensive visit” to East and Southeast Asia. The schedule includes three countries and tens of thousands of kilometres. Minsk…
26 June: when dignity should be inviolable — and torture in Belarus remains systemic
26 June is the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture — the date in 1987 when the Convention against Torture entered into force. Belarus is among 174 state parties, yet despite its obligations, violence by security …
Ultimatum, drills, and a “long trip”: how Lukashenko balances between Kyiv and Moscow
For several days, Aleksandr Lukashenko, observers say, walked a thin line: not to drag Belarus into Russia’s war against Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelensky’s ultimatum with hints that Kyiv might take military action. Within a week: Zelensky said the ul…
Belarus MIA labels ABA Together an extremist formation
On 25 June 2026, it became public that Belarus’s Ministry of Internal Affairs added ABA Together — the Association of Belarusians in America — to its list of extremist formations. According to the ministry, “a group of c…
“The embassy handed me to the KGB”: Iranian doctor deported from Belarus and barred from entry for 30 years
An Iranian citizen lived in Belarus for more than ten years, worked as a doctor, and held a temporary residence permit. In April 2026 he was detained over an Instagram repost, interrogated for nine hours at the KGB, served 15 days at Okrest…
Lukashenko’s Personal Enemy: The Story of Siarhei Tsikhanouski
He wanted to run for president, and instead received the longest sentence of any political prisoner from 2020. Exactly a year ago, Siarhei Tsikhanouski walked free. The blogger who became a threat Tsikhanouski rose to fame through his YouTube channel…
“A week will be enough”: Zelensky issues ultimatum to Lukashenko over drone repeaters
19 June 2026, Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelensky publicly addressed Alexander Lukashenko and gave him one week to disable or dismantle repeaters on communications towers in Belarus’s border Gomel and Brest regions. According to Kyiv, this e…
“Releasing political prisoners must not mean arresting others” — Andrey Poczobut in the European Parliament
On 17 June 2026 in Strasbourg, former political prisoner Andrey Poczobut addressed the European Parliament in a formal sitting and personally received the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The journalist, freed on&n…
Emigration no longer guarantees safety: Interpol traps and extradition risks for Belarusians
Leaving Belarus after 2020 does not mean you are safe. Authorities have learned to work around Interpol’s ban on political cases: “not an opposition flag but property damage, not protests but hooliganism” — or, more often, economic charges: tax …
“I squatted 12 times with my legs wide apart, naked.” How Belarus treats female witnesses in criminal cases
In Belarus, a woman called as a witness in a criminal case can end up in the crosshairs herself. A summons “for a talk” often turns into detention, a search, seizure of a phone, and days in a detention facility. How this practice works and why it hit…
Mass searches of EHU students and alumni. Tuition payments since 2016 became grounds for a criminal case
Security forces are conducting searches and interrogations across Belarus of people linked to the European Humanities University (EHU). On 14 April 2026, the Supreme Court declared the university an “extremist organization” —…
From colony to “closed” prison. How political prisoners are moved to prison regime and what it means
Belarusians sentenced on “political” charges are often transferred by court from a colony to prison regime — the harshest form of imprisonment short of life-sentence zones. Sergei Rudenkov followed that path: nearly a year in …
Tikhanovskaya speaks up about “national dialogue” between the opposition and the regime. What could make Lukashenko take that step
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other Belarusian democratic forces are talking again about a “national dialogue” — a format in which opposition representatives should sit at the same table as the authorities, not stay on the sidelines while Al…
Human rights in Belarus. May 2026
According to the monthly review by the human rights center Viasna (published on 4 June), the situation in the country remains critical: state terror, politically motivated persecution, and transnational repression show no sig…
Alexey Khlestov is free. Singer served 14 days at Okrestina — first video with his wife and what is known about his condition
On 4 June 2026, Belarusian singer Alexey Khlestov was released after 14 days of administrative arrest. His wife Elena Khlestova announced it in Instagram stories: a video shows the couple in a car lis…