President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order imposing new sanctions against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has been president of the former Soviet republic since 1994. The Biden administration made the announcement on the date marking the first anniversary of Lukashenko’s reelection, which was widely seen as fraudulent and sparked nationwide protests. Lukashenko responded…
EU Summons Belarus Envoy Over Migrant Stream to Lithuania
BRUSSELS—The European Union has summoned the Belarusian envoy in Brussels and held talks with the Iraqi government after accusing Belarus of using illegal migrants, largely Iraqis, as a political weapon against EU sanctions imposed on Minsk. A spokesperson said the European Commission summoned the envoy on Wednesday in protest over a refugee problem that Lithuania…
IOC Removes Two Belarus Coaches, Sprinter Says Order Came From ‘High Up’
TOKYO—Two Belarus coaches who cut short sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya’s Tokyo Games have had their accreditation revoked and were removed from the athlete’s village, the IOC said on Friday. Athletics head coach Yuri Moisevich and team official Artur Shumak were asked to leave the Olympic village, the International Olympic Committee said, days after they ordered Tsimanouskaya…
Belarusian Olympic Sprinter Says Family Warned Her to Flee, Fearing Reprisals
A Belarusian sprinter, who refused to board a flight back to her home country out of fear she would be arrested after publicly criticizing her coaches at the Tokyo Olympics, revealed her grandmother also warned her it was not safe to return. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya of eastern Belarus has since fled to the capital of Poland…
Russia, Belarus to Hold ‘Zapad-2021’ Drills Despite Ukrainian Criticism
Russia and Belarus are preparing to hold large-scale cross-border military drills in September, which will involve nearly 13,000 troops, a Belarusian military official said. The upcoming strategic drills in Belarus named Zapad-2021 (West-2021) will involve thousands of servicemen, including those from Moscow-led defense bloc member Kazakhstan, as well as tanks, artillery, and aircraft, the ministry…
Lithuania Denies Belarus Reports of Migrant Death on Border
Lithuania’s interior ministry on Wednesday dismissed Belarusian reports that an Iraqi migrant had been found beaten to death after being turned away at the Lithuanian border, describing it as part of a “hybrid war” being waged by Minsk. Lithuania has accused Belarus of manufacturing a refugee problem on its border in retaliation for European Union…
UK’s Johnson Meets With Belarusian Opposition Leader
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday met with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Downing Street, promising support to the exiled leader. Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus for Lithuania last year after losing a presidential election which Western governments say was rigged. “We are very much on your side, very much in support of what you are…
IOC Awaiting Report From Belarusian Olympic Committee
TOKYO—The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Tuesday it was waiting for a report later in the day from the Belarusian National Olympic Committee on the case of sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, after launching an investigation into the incident that has rocked the Games. The athlete took refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo on Monday,…
Belarus Runner Alleges Olympic Team Tried to Send Her Home
TOKYO—A Belarus track sprinter alleged her Olympic team tried to remove her from Japan in a dispute that led to a standoff Sunday evening at Tokyo’s main airport. An activist group supporting Krystsina Tsimanouskaya said she believed her life was in danger in Belarus and would seek asylum with the Austrian embassy in Tokyo. Tsimanouskaya…
EU Says Sanctions an Option to Tackle Belarus People Smugglers
BRUSSELS—The European Union will consider sanctions against people smugglers and those involved in human trafficking to address a surge in “irregular” border crossings from Belarus, the bloc’s top diplomat on Friday said. Lithuania, an EU member state, has reported an uptick in illegal border crossings from neighboring Belarus and accused Minsk of flying in migrants…
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