Svetlana Tikhanovskaya

At Bled Strategic Forum ForMin Aurescu speaks about protracted conflicts in Black Sea region, EaP

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu participated today in the 16th Bled Strategic Forum - Slovenia, where he was invited to speak at the panel on "EU's Challenging Eastern Partnership Summit 2021: Calibrating its Agenda".

EU Foreign Ministers Meet in Luxemburg Monday to Slap Tougher Sanction on Lukashenko

 

EU foreign ministers will meet on Monday in Luxembourg to blacklist dozens more supporters of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in a bid to tighten the vice on his government and strengthen its opponents, news wires reported. Seventy-eight individuals are to be hit with measures like EU travel bans or having assets located in the bloc frozen, EU sources told dpa last week.

Hijacking Western Complacency

In addition to reporting on Belarusian security forces' violent crackdown against peaceful demonstrators, Nexta had provided daily instructions on when, where, and how Belarusians should mobilize during last fall's countrywide mass protests against Lukashenko's bogus election victory. Its Sunday calls for a National March for Freedom brought as many as 200,000 people into the streets of Minsk.

Detained Journalist Protasevich from Ryanair Plane Forced to Land in Minsk Likely Tortured

Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich was arrested on Sunday after Belarusian authorities diverted Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius of a possible bomb threat and forced it to land at an airport near Minsk.

Fears are growing that the Belarusian journalist who is well-known critic of President Lukashenko, has been subject to torture while in custody.

Democracy Digest: Belarus Blame Game and Region with Little Apparent Clout

Sunday's presidential election giving Lukashenko a sixth term in office was, like all but one since 1994, deemed by the EU to have been neither free nor fair. Despite a strong challenge from former teacher Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the autocratic president implausibly won 80% of the vote.