KALVIAI, Lithuania—Lithuania on Wednesday accused Belarus of flying in migrants from abroad to send to the European Union and said it would build a barrier on the border and deploy troops to prevent them crossing illegally into its territory. Belarus decided to allow migrants to cross into EU member Lithuania in response to sanctions imposed…
US Bans Air Travel to Belarus Over Arrest of Opposition Journalist
The United States formally banned air travel to Belarus on July 6 in response to the diversion of a flight a subsequent arrest by the regime in Minsk of an opposition journalist. The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a final order (pdf) on Tuesday prohibiting U.S. and foreign air carriers from selling tickets to Belarus…
Belarus’ Lukashenko Orders Closure of Border With Ukraine—BelTA
MOSCOW—Belarus’ leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered on Friday the full closure of Belarus’ border with neighboring Ukraine, citing security reasons, BelTA state news agency reported. Lukashenko told a gathering marking the country’s Independence Day that rebel groups that were planning to carry out a coup were uncovered in Belarus, BelTA reported. “A huge amount of weapons…
Belarus Oppositionists Cry Foul After ‘Embassies’ Suspended on Twitter
BERLIN—Twitter has suspended the accounts of a group of exile opposition groups that call themselves the “Belarusian People’s Embassies” after they were accused of identity theft by Belarusian authorities. The people’s embassy movement sprang up after last year’s presidential election, in which long-serving strongman Alexander Lukashenko claimed a resounding victory despite a widespread belief that…
Jailed Belarus Journalist, Girlfriend Moved to House Arrest
KYIV, Ukraine—The dissident Belarusian journalist and his Russian girlfriend who were arrested after being pulled off a flight that was diverted to Minsk have been moved from jail to house arrest—a move that the country’s exiled opposition leader said Friday was positive but still left them “hostages.” Raman Pratasevich—who ran a messaging app channel that…
EU Imposes First Broad Economic Sanctions on Belarus Over Ryanair Incident
BRUSSELS—The European Union imposed wide-ranging economic sanctions on Belarus for the first time on Thursday, targeting its main export industries and access to finance a month after it forced a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk. The measures include banning EU businesses from importing goods or doing business with Belarusian companies in sectors including banking,…
EU, US, UK, Canada Join Forces to Slap Sanctions on Belarus
BRUSSELS—The United States, the European Union, Britain, and Canada joined forces Monday to impose sanctions on several senior officials in Belarus over the forced diversion to Minsk of a passenger plane travelling between two EU countries last month. Asset freezes and travel bans were also imposed on a number of officials linked to the security…
Ryanair Flight Under Considerable Covert Pressure to Land in Belarus: Airline Boss
The pilot of the Ryanair passenger aircraft that was diverted to lank in Minsk, Belarus, was put under covert but “considerable pressure,” Michael O’Leary, the CEO of the Irish airline said on Tuesday. Ryanair Flight 4978 was on its way to Vilnius, Lithuania, from Athens, Greece, when it was alerted to a bomb threat and diverted…
Belarus Introduces Prison Sentences for Taking Part in Protests
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday signed into law prison sentences for people taking part in protests or insulting state officials, part of an unprecedented crackdown by the veteran leader since a disputed election last year. In a series of amendments to the criminal code, Lukashenko also for the first time introduced a four-year prison…
EU Bans Belarus Airlines as Opposition Urges G7 Sanctions
BRUSSELS/WARSAW—Belarus carriers will be banned from flying over European Union territory or having access to its airports from Friday, the bloc said, as the country’s exiled opposition leader called for more joint Western sanctions. The EU decision is part of planned punitive measures against Belarus in response to Minsk scrambling a warplane to force the…
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