SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKAYA

Belarus’ authoritarian leader has advised exiled opposition activists to “come home, repent and kneel,” while repeating a vague promise to step down if the people “make the decision” for him.

A court in Belarus has sentenced the husband of the country’s opposition leader to 18 years in prison.

How Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya came to challenge her country’s dictatorship.

The United States, European Union, Britain and Canada have imposed simultaneous sanctions on dozens of officials, organizations and companies in Belarus.

With that in mind, the EU is targeting Belarus airlines Belavia. The EU will also take aim at VIP Grub, a passport and visa service based in Istanbul, Turkey. The draft sanctions listing says the company “organizes trips to Belarus with the explicit intention of facilitating migration to the EU. VIP Grub actively advertises migration to the EU.”The sanctions are set to be approved in coming days. “Sanctions split the elites, destroy corruption schemes, and divide people around Lukashenko.” She urged the EU not to “to further invest in the mafia regime.

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is appealing to the European Union not to forget the plight of ordinary citizens and political prisoners in the former Soviet country.

If the 20th century was the story of slow, uneven progress toward the victory of liberal democracy over other ideologies—communism, fascism, virulent nationalism—the 21st century is, so far, a story of the reverse.

Belarus has forced the closure of the U.S. Embassy’s Public Diplomacy and USAID offices in a move that comes amid the tensions with the U.S. and its allies over Belarusian authorities’ crackdown on protests.

Poland Belarus Migration Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks to the Warsaw Security Forum in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday Oct. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (Czarek Sokolowski)WARSAW, Poland — (AP) — Belarus' exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Wednesday urged the global community to stop a “humanitarian catastrophe” which she said is being created by the Belarusian regime facilitating largescale migration into the European Union. Thousands of migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa have been lured to Belarus on tourist visas and encouraged to cross into Poland, Lithuania, and to a lesser extent Latvia — all three EU nations that border Belarus. Several recently died of exhaustion as they tried to get from Belarus to Poland across an area of forests and swamps. Tsikhanouskaya was the main opposition challenger to longtime authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in last year's disputed election.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for the global community to stop a “humanitarian catastrophe” which she said is being created by the Belarusian regime as it facilitates largescale migration into the European Union.

Nobel Peace Prize FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 24, 2021 file photo, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg stands onstage during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany. The annual Nobel Peace Prize, to be announced Oct. 8, shines the brightest of lights on the person or group thought to have done most to promote peace. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, file) (Markus Schreiber)STAVANGER, Norway — (AP) — The annual Nobel Peace Prize shines the brightest of lights on the person or group thought to have done most to promote peace. Unlike the other Nobels, which are handed out in Sweden, the Peace Prize is an all-Norwegian affair. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded on Friday, Oct. 8.

The annual Nobel Peace Prize, to be announced Oct. 8, shines the brightest of lights on the person or group thought to have done most to promote peace.

KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Belarusian authorities on Wednesday blocked access to another news site, the latest in a series of steps restricting independent media in the country after it was shaken by a wave of mass anti-government protests. The Belarusian Ministry of Information blocked access to the Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus website, the Belarusian subsidiary of a popular Russian newspaper of the same name. The ministry didn't provide any reasons for the decision to block the popular website, which is visited by some 20,000 users daily. Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, identified the man killed as opposition supporter Andrei Zeltser, 32-year-old employee of one of the biggest IT companies in Belarus. A total of 27 journalists in Belarus are currently behind bars, either already convicted and sentenced or awaiting trials.

Belarusian authorities have blocked access to another news site, the latest in a series of steps restricting independent media in the country after it was shaken by a wave of mass anti-government protests.

Belarus was rocked by months of protests fueled by President Alexander Lukashenko winning a sixth term after the August 2020 presidential vote.

A court in Belarus has sentenced two leading opposition activists to lengthy prison terms, the latest move in the relentless crackdown Belarusian authorities have unleashed on dissent after last year’s anti-government protests.

The authoritarian leader of Belarus says the country will soon receive a large batch of Russian weapons, including dozens of combat jets, helicopters and top-of-the-line air defense missile systems.

Lithuanian officials say a recent influx of thousands of migrants from neighboring Belarus appears to have stopped.

Belarus says it has rescinded its permission for the U.S. ambassador’s appointment and told the U.S. to cut its embassy staff in retaliation for Washington’s sanctions

Belarus says it has rescinded its permission for the U.S. ambassador's appointment and told the U.S. to cut its embassy staff in retaliation for Washington’s sanctions.

President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since taking power in 1994.

Britain Belarus Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya meets with the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, right, in 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP) (Dan Kitwood)British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Tuesday with the Belarusian opposition leader at his office in London, saying the U.K. is “on her side" and committed to supporting human rights in her country. "It is very important to understand that one of the most powerful countries in the world is supporting Belarus," Tsikhanouskaya said after meeting with Johnson. Ahead of her visit to Downing Street, Belarusians living in the U.K. and human rights activists demonstrated in London to highlight criticism of Lukashenko's rule. We cannot leave Lukashenko to do what he is doing to the country," said Ken McBain, a U.K. representative of the human rights group Libereco.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met with the Belarusian opposition leader at his office, saying the U.K. is “on her side” and committed to supporting human rights in her country.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya made a dash for freedom at a Tokyo-area airport, claiming her team was forcing her to return home after she criticized her coaches.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is living in exile after being defeated by President Alexander Lukashenko in an election widely regarded as fraudulent.

Thrust into the spotlight, Belarus politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says she's not 'that important,' but her country's fate is.

Biden Belarus FILE - In this July 27, 2021, file photo Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya poses for a photo in New York. Tsikhanouskaya, authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko's main election challenger, who was forced to leave Belarus under official pressure after the election, met with President Joe Biden on Wednesday, July 28. She said they didn’t discuss specific new sanctions on Belarus, but talked about the need to ramp up the pressure on the Lukashenko regime. The West responded to the crackdown by imposing sanctions on Belarus. “This is the only way out of (the) crisis in Belarus.”Tsikhanouskaya said the opposition has called for dialogue with representatives of Lukashenko’s regime.

The leader of Belarus’ embattled opposition hopes the United States and Europe will impose new sanctions on money-making government enterprises that will lead to the collapse of President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime and a peaceful transition that pro-democracy supporters are preparing for because “it can happen very fast.”.

Biden Belarus FILE - In this July 27, 2021, file photo Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya poses for a photo in New York. Tsikhanouskaya, authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko's main election challenger, who was forced to leave Belarus under official pressure after the election, met with President Joe Biden on Wednesday, July 28. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted, File) (Robert Bumsted)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke out for embattled pro-democracy forces in Belarus on Wednesday in a White House meeting with that country's main opposition leader. “The United States stands with the people of Belarus in their quest for democracy and universal human rights,” he wrote. “I asked President Biden to stand with Belarus and support our democratic movement with concrete actions," she said.

President Joe Biden is speaking out for embattled pro-democracy forces in Belarus.

When her husband was imprisoned in Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took up his fight against Belarus’ dictator. An interview about her journey.

Belarusian authorities have announced the closure of 15 nongovernmental organizations as part of the continuing crackdown on civil society activists and independent media that includes shutting dozens of NGOs.

Belarus Raids FILE - In this Friday, July 9, 2021 file photo, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko addresses members of Belarus National Olympic team ahead of the Summer Olympics Games in Tokyo, Minsk, Belarus. Belarus' authorities on Monday July 19, 2021, raided offices of an independent newspaper and detained three of its journalists as part of a continuing crackdown on media outlets and civil society activists. Overall, 31 Belarusian journalists are in custody awaiting trial or serving sentences. The Justice Ministry asked the country’s highest court on Wednesday to shut the Belarusian Association of Journalists over alleged flaws in office lease documents. Earlier this week, authorities froze the PEN Center's bank accounts.

The longtime leader of Belarus vowed Thursday to continue a crackdown on civil society activists he regards as “bandits and foreign agents.”.

The longtime leader of Belarus vowed Thursday to continue a crackdown on civil society activists he regards as “bandits and foreign agents.” President Alexander Lukashenko chided officials in his administration for allowing the operation of non-governmental organizations that he called “harmful to the state.” “A mopping-up operation is going on,” Lukashenko said.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Monday with Belarus’ main opposition leader as the United States steps up criticism of the government in Minsk for a widening crackdown on dissent following disputed elections last year. Blinken met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the State Department to show support for her and other protesters demanding an end to repression. Tsikhanouskaya is in Washington this week meeting with Biden administration officials and lawmakers to seek their backing. “We call on the Belarusian authorities to release their 550-plus political prisoners and engage in a dialogue with the opposition and civil society. Overall, 32 Belarusian journalists are in custody, either serving their sentences or awaiting trial, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Belarus' main opposition leader as the United States steps up criticism of the government in Minsk for a widening crackdown on dissent following disputed elections last year.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Monday with Belarus’ main opposition leader as the United States steps up criticism of the government in Minsk for a widening crackdown on dissent following disputed elections last year. Blinken met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the State Department to show support for her and other protesters demanding an end to repression. Tsikhanouskaya was President Alexander Lukashenko’s main challenger in the August 2020 election and was forced to leave the country after the polls that the opposition and the West saw as rigged.

Authorities in Belarus have raided the offices of an independent newspaper and detained three of its journalists as part of a relentless crackdown on media outlets and civil society activists.

Authorities in Belarus raided the homes and offices of independent media outlets and civil society activists, widening a crackdown on opposition in the ex-Soviet nation.

Authorities in Belarus raided the homes and offices of independent media outlets and civil society activists Friday, widening a crackdown on opposition in the ex-Soviet nation. The Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Viasna human rights center said authorities searched the apartments and offices of at least 31 journalists and activists in the capital of Minsk and seven other cities. “The authorities are using an entire arsenal of repressions against journalists — intimidation, beatings, searches and arrests,” Andrei Bastunets, the head of the journalists' association, said..

Scores of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have crossed the border into Lithuania from Belarus in recent weeks.

Belarus Politics Viktor Babariko, the former head of Russia-owned Belgazprombank, stands inside a cage in a court room in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, July 6, 2021. The Supreme Court in Belarus has 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' authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko in last year's election. On Tuesday, Belarus’ Supreme Court convicted Babariko on charges of taking a bribe and money laundering and handed him a 14-year prison sentence and a fine of about $57,000. “I can't plead guilty to the crimes I didn't commit,” Babariko told the court before it issued the verdict.

The highest court in Belarus has convicted an aspiring rival to the nation’s authoritarian president on corruption charges that he rejected as politically motivated.

The highest court in Belarus convicted an aspiring rival to the nation's authoritarian president on corruption charges that he rejected as politically motivated and sentenced him Tuesday to 14 years in prison. Viktor Babariko, the head of a commercial bank owned by Russian natural gas company Gazprom, had hoped to challenge President Alexander Lukashenko last year, but he was arrested before the country's August 2020 presidential election and prohibited from registering as a candidate. At the time, he was widely perceived as Lukashenko's main rival, and his arrest drew thousands of protesters to the streets.

Belarus Lukashenko Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of Germany's attack on the Soviet Union in World War II in the Brest Fortress memorial, 360 km (225 miles) southwest of Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. (Maxim Guchek/BelTA Pool Photo via AP) (Maxim Guchek)KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Belarus on Monday retaliated to the European Union sanctions by halting cooperation on stemming illegal migration and denying entry to EU officials. The EU on Thursday slapped new bruising economic sanctions on Belarus over last month's diversion of a passenger jet to arrest a dissident journalist. Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has denounced the EU sanctions as part of a “hybrid war” waged by the West against Belarus. On Monday, the Foreign Ministry said that Belarus would move to suspend a readmission agreement with the EU that is intended to stem illegal migration.

Belarus has retaliated to the European Union sanctions by halting cooperation on stemming illegal migration and denying entry to EU officials.

KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — The dissident Belarusian journalist and his Russian girlfriend who were arrested after their airline flight was diverted to Minsk last month have been moved from jail to house arrest — “good news" but not freedom yet, according to the exiled opposition leader. The move elicited international outrage, and the European Union slapped more economic sanctions on Belarus. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Friday called moving Pratasevich and Sapega to house arrest “good news,” but stressed it is not the end. “House arrest is not freedom, they're still facing charges, their every step is still being watched. The EU also imposed a series of bruising economic sanctions that target key Belarus exports, including potash — a common fertilizer ingredient — and petroleum products.

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.

Belgium Belarus Opposition Interview Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya talks during an interview with The Associated Press in Brussels, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. The exiled novice politician says the incident has galvanized the West against Lukashenko, who had “never crossed this red line before.” (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) (Francisco Seco)KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — A closed trial for the husband of Belarus’ opposition leader began Thursday at a jail in the city of Gomel. Tsikhanouski, a prominent video blogger and activist, aimed to run against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in the August 2020 election. His wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, ran in his stead. In a video message on Thursday, Tsikhanouskaya said her husband “remains the same proud and unshakable person” despite more than a year in detention.

A closed trial for the husband of Belarus' opposition leader has begun at a jail in the city of Gomel.

Belgium Belarus Opposition Interview Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya talks during an interview with The Associated Press in Brussels, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. “It was really a mistake,” Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview with The Associated Press. European officials, who likened the diversion to air piracy, also banned Belarus airlines from EU skies and airports. The disputed election touched off months of mass demonstrations in Belarus, including some that drew as many as 200,000 people. “The regime is so frightened by the unity of Belarusians, by the unity of the European Union, the U.S.A., about this situation in Belarus that they stopped to think strategically.

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says President Alexander Lukashenko may have miscalculated last month by diverting a Ryanair passenger jet to Minsk, where a dissident journalist aboard was arrested.

Luxembourg EU Belarus European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, right, greets Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya during a European Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting at the European Council building in Luxembourg, Monday, June 21, 2021. EU foreign ministers were set to approve Monday a new set of sanctions against scores of officials in Belarus and prepare a series of measures aimed at the country's economy. At a meeting in Luxembourg, EU foreign ministers also prepared a series of economic measures that are aimed at hitting Lukashenko and his allies. The EU has gradually ratcheted up sanctions since Lukashenko – dubbed the last dictator in Europe – won a sixth term last August in elections it says were fraudulent. Among their actions Monday, the ministers imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 78 Belarus officials and froze the assets of 8 "entities," which are usually companies, banks, or associations.

Luxembourg EU Belarus European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, right, greets Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya during a European Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting at the European Council building in Luxembourg, Monday, June 21, 2021. EU foreign ministers were set to approve Monday a new set of sanctions against scores of officials in Belarus and prepare a series of measures aimed at the country's economy. The EU has gradually ratcheted up sanctions since Lukashenko – dubbed the last dictator in Europe – won a sixth term last August in elections it says were fraudulent. The EU had already banned Belarus airline companies from flying over the bloc’s territory or using its airports. Borrell said the ministers will also prepare a raft of economic sanctions for EU leaders to endorse at a summit on Thursday.

Luxembourg EU Belarus European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, right, greets Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya during a European Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting at the European Council building in Luxembourg, Monday, June 21, 2021. EU foreign ministers were set to approve Monday a new set of sanctions against scores of officials in Belarus and prepare a series of measures aimed at the country's economy. The EU has ratcheted up sanctions since President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term last August in elections slammed as fraudulent by the 27-nation bloc. The EU has already banned Belarus airline companies from flying over the bloc’s territory or using its airports. Borrell said the ministers will also prepare a raft of economic sanctions for EU leaders to endorse at a summit on Thursday.

The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada have joined forces to impose sanctions on several officials in Belarus over the forced diversion of a Ryanair flight to Minsk last month.

Czech Republic Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivers a spech in the Senate of the Czech Republic in Prague, Wednesday, June 9, 2021. (Vondrous Roman/CTK Pool Photo via AP) (Vondrous Roman)PRAGUE — (AP) — A Belarusian opposition leader has called for the creation of an international tribunal to investigate and prosecute crimes reportedly committed by the government and its longtime authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger to Lukashenko in last year's disputed presidential election in Belarus, spoke to the Czech Parliament’s upper house, the Senate, in Prague, on Wednesday. “We cannot allow dictators to write history,” she said, also asking the Czech Republic to organize an international conference to deal with the current situation in her country. Tsikhanouskaya called the crackdown “a terror that our country as not experienced since the time of Stalinism.”"The only solution to the crisis in Belarus can be free elections,” she said.

A Belarusian opposition leader has called for the creation of an international tribunal to investigate and prosecute the reported crimes of her country's government and its authoritarian leader of nearly 27 years.

The daughter of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has made a rare public appearance to accept a human rights award on his behalf.

Lithuania is seeing a growing number of migrants entering the Baltic country from neighboring Belarus in recent weeks.

Poland Belarus Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attends the unveiling of a new monument in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, June 4, 2021. The monument commemorates Solidarity, the communist-era Polish trade union that fought to topple communism, which Tsikhanouskaya says has been an inspiration to the Belarusian people. Poland's notoriously bickering political factions have long been united in their support for those in Belarus opposing the dictatorship of longtime President Alexander Lukanshenko. Last week, the government also revealed that it had brought three Belarusians belonging to the ethnic Polish minority who had been imprisoned in Belarus to safety in Poland. Last week during her visit to Warsaw, Tsikhanouskaya voiced gratitude to President Andrzej Duda, who is allied with the government, and Trzaskowski, for the help Belarusians were receiving from different authorities in Poland.

Poland's prime minister is vowing that the government will always support the Belarusian people struggling for democracy.

Belarusian opposition activists say a dissident journalist was coerced to appear in a video on state TV in which he wept and praised the country’s authoritarian ruler.

The Belarusian opposition said Friday a dissident journalist was coerced to appear in a video on state TV in which he wept and praised the country's authoritarian ruler, a broadcast sharply criticized by Western officials. In the 90-minute video broadcast Thursday night, Raman Pratasevich repented for his opposition activities and said he respects Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko as "a man with balls of steel.” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition candidate in Belarus’ presidential election in August 2020, said she would urge the U.S. and the EU to pressure Belarus to release him.

Many people who want to leave Belarus to avoid the growing repression under authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko now find themselves increasingly cornered.

Thousands of Belarusians who have fled the former Soviet nation amid a brutal crackdown on dissent are shocked by the forced diversion of a passenger jet to arrest an opposition journalist.

Belarus has long pursued its president’s critics on the streets, and now it’s turned to the skies. For more than 26 years, President Alexander Lukashenko has maintained his hold on power in the East European country of 9.3 million people, putting thousands of opponents in jail or forcing them abroad. Riot police and sweeping arrests gradually stamped out large-scale street protests following his disputed election in August 2020 for a sixth term. In the latest extraordinary move, Belarus forced a

The diversion of a Ryanair flight to Lithuania by Belarus, leading to the arrest of an opposition journalist who was a passenger, has sparked international outrage and calls for tough sanctions against the former Soviet nation.

A prominent opponent of Belarus’ authoritarian president has been arrested after the airliner in which he was traveling was diverted to the country after a bomb threat.

Belarus Lukashenko Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, attends the Orthodox Easter service in the town of Turov, some 270 km (167 miles) south of Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, May 2, 2021. (Maxim Guchek/BelTA Pool Photo via AP) (Maxim Guchek)KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Belarus' authoritarian leader on Friday bristled at a criminal complaint filed against him in Germany over his violent crackdown on protests that broke out after his disputed re-election in August. His remarks came two days before Belarus and other ex-Soviet nations celebrate Victory Day, marking the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. They cited universal jurisdiction laws that allow Germany to prosecute crimes against humanity committed anywhere in the world. The violent suppression of the anti-government rallies elicited international outrage, with the United States and the European Union imposing sanctions on Belarus.

Belarus’ authoritarian leader has bristled at a criminal complaint filed against him in Germany over his violent crackdown on protests that broke out after his disputed re-election in August.

Lithuania Ukraine Chernobyl Anniversary Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks to the media during the ceremony to commemorate victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster at the memorial to Chernobyl workers and firefighters in Vilnius, Lithuania, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) (Mindaugas Kulbis)LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — (AP) — The exiled Belarusian opposition leader on Monday called for sustained international focus on the struggle for democracy in her country against long-ruling authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. Tsikhanouskaya ran against Lukhashenko in last year's presidential election in Belarus that triggered the largest wave of protests in the ex-Soviet nation’s history. More than 34,000 people have been arrested, many of them beaten, and most prominent opposition figures have fled Belarus or been jailed. He said in a statement that Slovenia will seek to keep the situation in Belarus high on the EU agenda.

The exiled Belarusian opposition leader has called for sustained international focus on the struggle for democracy in her country against long-ruling authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke during her visit to Slovenia, a small Alpine nation that is slated to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union in July. “It is extremely important to keep Belarus high in agenda on international level with our difficult fight for democratic changes,” Tsikhanouskaya said after a meeting with Slovenia's foreign minister, Anze Logar.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his Belarusian counterpart for talks on closer integration between the two ex-Soviet neighbors.

FILE - In this Saturday, March 20, 2021 file photo, Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, right, poses for photos with demonstrators during a protest demanding freedom for political prisoners in Belarus at the Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania. Belarus authorities on Monday March 29, 2021, announced a criminal probe against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the nation's top opposition figure, on charges of terrorism, a move that follows a sweeping police crackdown on protesters demanding the resignation of the country's authoritarian leader. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File)KYIV – Belarus authorities on Monday announced a criminal probe against the nation's top opposition figure on charges of terrorism, a move that follows a sweeping police crackdown on protesters demanding the resignation of the country's authoritarian leader. Belarus' Prosecutor General Andrei Shved said his office has launched a criminal investigation against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the top opposition candidate who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko in a presidential vote in August. Earlier this month, Lithuania dismissed Belarus's demand to extradite Tsikhanouskaya, with the Baltic nation’s foreign minister saying that “hell will freeze over first.”

People carry a giant historical flag of Belarus during a celebration 103rd anniversary of the declaration of the Belarusian People's Respublic, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, March 25, 2021. Freedom Day is an unofficial holiday in Belarus celebrated on 25 March to commemorate the declaration of independence by the Belarusian Democratic Republic on that date in 1918. The Thursday protest marked the anniversary of the 1918 declaration of the Belarus People's Republic, an independent state that lasted only a few months before the Red Army moved in. The opposition traditionally observes the anniversary as the country's unofficial Freedom Day. The arrests came a day after their leader, Andżelika Borys, was sentenced to 15 days in jail for holding unauthorized mass events.

Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich, seen in cage, attend a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. On Tuesday, the Moskovsky District Court in Minsk sentenced Barysevich to six months in prison and a fine equivalent to $1,100. (Sergei Sheleg/BelTA Pool Photo via AP)KYIV – A court in Belarus on Tuesday handed a half-year prison sentence to a journalist on charges of revealing personal data in her report on the death of a protester, part of authorities’ crackdown on demonstrations against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. On Tuesday, the Moskovsky District Court in Minsk sentenced Barysevich to six months in prison and a fine equivalent to $1,100. Last month, two other journalists in Belarus were convicted of violating public order and sentenced to two years in prison after they covered an opposition protest.

Viktor Babariko, the former head of Russia-owned Belgazprombank, gestures a heart symbol sitting in a cage in a court room in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. Viktor Babariko, the former head of Russia-owned Belgazprombank, has been jailed since June on corruption and money-laundering charges. The 57-year-old Babariko could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted at the trial in the Supreme Court of Belarus, the country's highest. The president sought to cast Babariko's election bid as part of efforts by Belarus' main sponsor, Russia, to exert pressure on his government and try to weaken the country's independence. “That was deadly dangerous for Lukashenko.”But facing Western sanctions over the vote-rigging and the crackdown on protests, Lukashenko has come to rely increasingly on Moscow's subsidies and political support.

Authorities in Belarus have raided the homes and offices of journalists and human rights activists. Police searched the offices of the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Viasna human rights center, as well as the apartments of its members. (AP Photo)KYIV – Authorities in Belarus raided homes and offices of journalists and human rights activists Tuesday in the latest move to squelch protests against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. The leader of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Andrei Bastunets, was one of those detained and later released. “This is an attempt to intimidate journalists and human rights activists who have been telling the world about the unbelievable scale of repressions,” said Viasna's deputy head Valiantsin Stefanovic.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers his speech to delegates of the All-Belarus People's Assembly in Minsk, Belarus, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Belarus authoritarian leader has denounced six months of protests against his rule as a foreign-directed rebellion and vowed to resist the pressure, as he spoke at the All-Belarus Peoples Assembly. Lukashenko didn’t elaborate, but in the past several months, he has repeatedly accused the West of fomenting the protests. On Thursday, he said the West had incited the protests in Belarus as a “bridgehead” against Russia. Ad“It's deadly dangerous for Russia to lose Belarus,” Lukashenko said, adding that the two countries planned massive joint military drills later this year.

But opposition forces are preparing to turn up the heat in the spring and observers say Lukashenko doesn't have a clear strategy to overcome new unrest. But harsh actions by security forces have only temporarily muted the protests, Shraibman said. ___LUKASHENKO PLAYS FOR TIMEA $1.5 billion loan from the Kremlin and a promise to send in Russian security forces if Lukashenko requests them helped Lukashenko maintain control over the security forces and officials. During the period of mass protests, Lukashenko talked about “the decline of the presidential life” and possible resignation, but then he stopped such statements. The opposition aims to resume its mass actions on March 25, the anniversary of the 1918 declaration of a short-lived independent Belarus.

Belarusian opposition figures, Hong Kong-pro-democracy activists, the Black Lives Matter movement, a jailed Russian opposition leader and two former White House senior advisers are among this years nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. There is no shortage of causes or candidates for the Norwegian Nobel Committee to consider for what arguably remains the world’s most prestigious prize. Here's a look at the Nobel nomination process:WHO CAN NOMINATE CANDIDATES FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE? The U.N. World Food Program won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. The peace prize and other Nobel awards are presented to the winners on Dec. 10, the anniversary of founder Alfred Nobel’s death.

DÜSSELDORF – DÜThe International Ice Hockey Federation will make a decision in the coming days on whether to pull its world championship from Belarus as pressure increases from sponsors over a crackdown on opposition groups in the country. “If we cancel the games in Minsk, I think we should make a decision until the end of the month. This is the maximum, as we have to choose another place where we can play the championship," IIHF president Rene Fasel told The Associated Press in a recent interview. Fasel met with longtime Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Monday, saying he wanted to use the tournament to build bridges between Lukashenko and the opposition. Fasel is due to step down as IIHF president later this year after 27 years in charge.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko defended his country’s ability to host the ice hockey world championship on Monday by ridiculing the United States following the violent attack at the Capitol. The authoritarian leader met with International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel for talks amid calls to move the world championship following mass protests against Lukashenko’s rule. “In our country, protesters and other dissatisfied people don’t storm government agencies and capitols,” Lukashenko said. Authorities have cracked down hard on the largely peaceful demonstrations, the biggest of which attracted up to 200,000 people. Lukashenko has been president of the Belarus Olympic Committee since the 1990s and Fasel is an IOC member who previously sat on the executive committee.