Category: Belarus

Lukashenko Signs Decree to Amend Emergency Transfer of Power

MOSCOW—Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree allowing the transfer of presidential power to the security council if he is murdered or otherwise unable to perform his duties, state Belta news agency reported on Saturday. Lukashenko said in April he was planning to change the way power in Belarus is set up. Previously, if…


Belarus Disqualified From Eurovision Song Contest

MOSCOW—Organisers of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest have disqualified Belarus, ruling that its entry song—by a band whose lyrics have been deemed in the past to mock anti-government protests—is in breach of competition guidelines. Earlier this month the organisers rejected an entry by Belarus, which has been gripped by political crisis since August last year,…


Belarus Police Detain Over 100, Including Opposition Media Editors

MOSCOW—Belarus police detained over 100 people on Saturday, among them three editors of online news platforms, as they gathered for fresh protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, according to reports from the outlets and the Russian RIA state-run news agency. The city square in Minsk where the demonstration was called to start on Saturday afternoon was…


Two Journalists Jailed for 2 Years in Belarus for Filming Protests

KYIV—A Belarusian court sentenced two Belarusian journalists from Poland-based TV news channel Belsat who filmed protests against President Alexander Lukashenko to two years in prison on Thursday. Katsiaryna Andreyeva, 27, and Darya Chultsova, 23, were detained in an apartment in November from where they had been filming protests taking place over the death of a…