Belarus Prisons Newswire

From Identity Fraud to Denial of Rights: The Plight of Afghanistan’s Asylum Seekers in Polish Detention Centers

Several asylum seekers from Afghanistan in Poland have expressed concern over the harsh and inhumane conditions in the country’s immigration detention centers, stating that they face prolonged and arbitrary detention, violations of their human and health …

"Every Belarusian is at risk": Who can be convicted of "high treason" in Belarus?

In the last two weeks, three media workers in Belarus have been sentenced to massive prison terms for "high treason." The former editor-in-chief of the Baranavichy newspaper Intex-Press received 14 years in a penal colony, his deputy Andrey …

Political prisoner in Belarus, deserter in Russia.

Car target 26-year-old Anton Lysov from Cheboksary, the capital of Chuvashia on the Volga River, barely remembers his father, who left the family when the boy was seven. When Anton turned 16, his mother passed away. His only remaining relatives were his …

Belarus journalist convicted of treason and sentenced to 9 years in prison

ICE, elections, and a Greek lesson in morality

Government supporters rip an American flag in half during a protest in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, after US President Donald Trump announced that US forces had captured President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores. [AP] Women dragged from cars, …

Five Belarusian volunteers of the Kastus Kalinowski Regiment sentenced in absentia to 12–25 years in prison

The Minsk City Court handed down in absentia sentences to five Belarusian volunteers of the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, who fought on the side of Ukraine, sentencing them to 12–25 years in prison, according to the Viasna Human Rights Center. https:/…

Belarusians Evading Conscription Are Being Captured in Russia

Russian law enforcement officers have detained a Belarusian citizen who was wanted in his home country for evading military conscription. This was reported by Baza. The operation took place in an anti-cafe on the Kozachky Lane, where security forces …

World Day Against Cyber Censorship: RSF unveils new US room in its Minecraft Uncensored Library

Among other things, the US room documents government websites that have been removed by US authorities, offers analyses of the state of press freedom, and highlights structural developments, such as the increasing pressure the Federal Communications …

Belarus journalist convicted of treason and sentenced to 9 years in prison

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our …

Belarus Frees More Prisoners as Lukashenko Seeks Warmer Ties With Washington

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA  Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned another group of prisoners in what appears to be a continuing effort to ease tensions with the United States and reestablish diplomatic engagement with Western governments after …

'I’m only afraid of Belarus becoming part of Russia' — released opposition activist Kalesnikava calls on Europe to re-...

A leader of the anti-government 2020 protests in Belarus, Maria Kalesnikava, in Berlin, Germany, on March 2, 2026. (Pasha Kritchko / The Kyiv Independent) A leader of the anti-government 2020 protests in Belarus, Maria Kalesnikava, reemerged from …

Why the West can’t break Russia’s grip on Belarus? In-depth analysis

One of the most notable participants of the recent protests in Belarus, Maria Kalesnikava, has resurfaced after being detained several years in prison with a request that highlights a very stark truth, the efforts of the European community to distance …

‘Let them bang their heads against the wall’: Armenia’s government reacts to proposal to join Russia’s Union State

Proposal to join the Union State “We must join the Union State. I don’t know what they will call it now, but it should be like the Soviet Union,” former Nagorno-Karabakh security council secretary Vitaly Balasanyan told journalists. Representatives of …

The Caucasus Chessboard: Will Baku Become a ‘Gun for Hire’?

First and foremost, Baku is a net military importer. Russia was its primary market. Then, with warming ties to Turkey, Ankara became its biggest partner. As gas money kept filling the coffers, Aliyev also diversified his shopping partners. Israel became a …

Drunk Belarusian seeking advice from Warsaw police got detained

The man wanted to ask the police for help in resolving a conflict, but he was incoherent. It turned out he had drunk so much that he was unable to drive. Now he faces jail. https://en.belsat.eu/91953177/drunk-belarusian-seeking-advice-from- …

Georgia’s Soviet-Era Healthcare System is Putting Doctors in Prison

Should a psychiatrist face prison for obeying the law? This was the question raised by the case of an anonymous Georgian psychiatrist who, until this past week, was facing criminal proceedings for not having admitted a patient with co-occurring mental …

Belarus Free Theatre to Present Venice Biennale Collateral Exhibition on Art Under Authoritarianism and Censorship

The Belarus Free Theatre, an underground theater group in exile since 2020, announced Wednesday that it will stage the exhibition “Official. Unofficial. Belarus.” as an official collateral event of the 61st Venice Biennale. The show, to be staged at the …

Belarusian woman suffers loss of fertility after surgery in Poznań: investigation underway

A gynecologist in Poznań faces up to 20 years in prison after performing surgery on a 24-year-old Belarusian citizen who left her unable to have children. According to the investigation, the doctor removed the patient's reproductive organs without her …

Former MP from OPZZh helped Russia with 1 million euros bypassing sanctions - SBU announced new details of the detention ...

The Security Service of Ukraine announced new details regarding the detention in Kyiv of an enterprise director in a case involving the provision of over 1.1 million euros to the aggressor country. The individual also turned out to be a former deputy from …