Tag: Belarus

Greece Offers Lithuania Support Over Sharp Rise in Migrant Numbers

ATHENS—Greece has offered to share its experiences on migrant issues with Lithuania as it handles a sharp rise in the number of people crossing its border, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday, after what he called an “orchestrated effort” by Belarus to pressure its neighbor. The comments, following a meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister…


Greece Offers Lithuania Support Amid Sharp Rise in Illegal Immigrant Numbers

ATHENS, Greece—The government of Greece has offered to share its experiences on illegal immigration with Lithuania, which is facing a sharp rise in the number of people crossing its border illegally, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on July 15, after what he called an “orchestrated effort” by Belarus to pressure its neighbor. The comments,…


Lithuanian Parliament Votes to Declare Hostile States ‘Hybrid Aggression’ and to Detain Illegal Immigrants

Lithuanian Parliament on Tuesday adopted a resolution, declaring that the recent influx of illegal immigrants is a “hybrid aggression” by hostile states, and that the illegal immigrants should be treated as potential active participants of the aggression. It comes after Lithuania declared a state of emergency due to the sudden influx of illegal immigrants via neighboring…


Lithuania Says Belarus Is Using Illegal Immigrants as a Weapon

BRUSSELS—The European Union should consider imposing more sanctions on Belarus because Minsk is flying in immigrants from abroad to send them illegally into the bloc, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Monday. His government accuses Belarusian authorities of sending hundreds of mainly Iraqi illegal immigrants across the border into Lithuania, an EU member state….


US Concerned by Flow of Migrants From Belarus to Lithuania

VILNIUS—The United States is concerned about the flow of Middle Eastern and African migrants from Belarus into Lithuania, a U.S. diplomat said. Lithuania began building a 320-mile razor wire barrier on its border with Belarus on Friday after accusing Belarusian authorities of flying in migrants from abroad to send illegally into the European Union. “We…


Lithuania Toughens Belarus Border With Razor Wire to Bar Migrants

VILNIUS—Lithuania began building a 550-km (320-mile) razor wire barrier on its border with Belarus on Friday after accusing Belarusian authorities of flying in migrants from abroad to send illegally into the European Union. The government said the military-style wire coil would cost 4.9 million euros ($5.81 million) to put up and run along most of…


Belarus Government Blocks Media Outlet, Detains Reporters

KYIV, Ukraine—Belarusian authorities blocked the website of a leading online media outlet, detained several of its journalists, and conducted searches involving three other media organizations Thursday, the latest moves in a sweeping clampdown on dissent and independent media in the ex-Soviet nation. Belarus’s Information Ministry said it has blocked Nasha Niva’s website after the prosecutor…


Lithuania Says Belarus Is Flying in Migrants, Plans Border Barrier

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 Sentences Former Presidential Contender to 14 Years

KYIV, Ukraine—The Supreme Court in Belarus on Tuesday sentenced a former contender in the 2020 presidential race to 14 years in prison on corruption charges in a case that has been widely seen as politically motivated. Viktor Babariko, the former chief executive of a Russia-owned bank, aspired to challenge Belarus’s authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, in…