Belarus

Tag: Belarus

Political prisoner

20.December 2025 KS

Olga Tomina: The power of tenderness, the art of freedom

One protest changed her life completely. The Belarusian makeup artist ended 2022 behind bars for participating in the protest. The prison experience strengthened her, but also taught her how important every day is. It is now arriving in Belgrade

09.November 2025 Tatsjana Harnalik/DW

When children learn to die for their country

The Belarusian regime systematically sends children to military training and "war games". Schools teach them loyalty and the need to die for their country

Olympics

22.October 2025 IN THE

Russians and Belarusians banned from 2026 Winter Olympics

Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be able to qualify for the 2026 Olympic Games in FIS disciplines, despite the IOC's earlier position that they could compete under a neutral flag

Organ transplantation

24.September 2025 KS

Lončar: Organ transplantation in Belarus at the expense of the state

Citizens of Serbia who are waiting for a new organ could in the future have the opportunity to travel to Belarus for a transplant at the expense of the state.

Side view

15.July 2025 Una Sabljaković / DW

Andrej Gnjot: Serbia looks like Minsk from 2006

Belarusian journalist Andrei Gnyot, who spent a year in Serbia, warns that the repressive methods used by the government against protesters are reminiscent of what he experienced under Alexander Lukashenko's regime.

Health

27.May 2025. KS

Why is Duško Vujošević going to Belarus for a kidney?

After a long-term kidney problem, the legendary basketball coach Duško Vujošević traveled to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, where he will receive a new kidney.

Organ transplantation in Serbia

11.February 2025. Katarina Stevanović

To get a kidney in Belarus

There are about 600 people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant in Serbia, and in 2024 only 17 of them will be transplanted. That's why many are looking for salvation in Belarus, where, however, the operation costs tens of thousands of euros. Unlike Serbia, Montenegro has been covering the costs of transplants in that country for its citizens since last year

Tensions between Warsaw and Minsk

07.February 2025. Alexandra von Namen (DW)

Migrants must not pass: Barbed wire on the border between Poland and Belarus

Between the concrete barriers on the border with Belarus, the Poles strung up barbed wire. Lots of barbed wire. And behind that is a narrow path, along the five and a half meter high border fence. Cameras, thermo-sensors, underground cables

Elections in Belarus

27.January 2025 KS

Lukashenko, president for the seventh time

Alexander Lukashenko was once again elected president of Belarus. This will be his seventh five-year term. Loud criticism again that the elections were rigged

Belarus

25.January 2025 Ema Levashkevich (DW)

Lukashenko and Belarus: Until death do them part

Belarusians will go to the polls, but that doesn't even matter - Alexander Lukashenko will win, for the seventh time. There is no opposition. Lukashenka's biggest problem is his visibly impaired health

On the spot

05.December 2024 Hana Sokolova/DW

Ukrainians from the occupied territories: "The Mariupol I knew no longer exists"

Only one border crossing between Belarus and Ukraine is currently functioning. A DW reporter went there and talked to people who live in the immediate vicinity of the border

Vulin in Belarus

30.October 2024 B. B.

Agreement between two ministers under US sanctions: Joint training of the Serbian and Belarusian police

New cooperation between Serbia and Belarus in joint training of the police, special units and training in the field of combating terrorism was agreed upon. The agreement was reached by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus, Ivan Kurbakov, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin, both under US sanctions.

Andrej Gnjot

01.September 2024 S.Ć.

Minister Ristić was in Belarus after the court discussed Gnjot

Both the Serbian and Belarusian ministries of information claim that Gnjot was not the topic of conversation between the two ministers, but cooperation with Telekom, which was held immediately after the Court of Appeal in Belgrade decided on the extradition of activist and journalist Andrej Gnjot to that country.

Belarus

31.July 2024 B. B.

Alexander Lukashenko pardoned a German sentenced to death in Belarus

German Rico Krieger, accused of "terrorism and mercenary activity", previously appeared in handcuffs in a TV interview broadcast on Belarusian state media and tearfully begged German authorities to intervene in his case

The case of Andrej Gnjot

23.July 2024 MJ/Public Service

Journalist who became a prisoner: "I don't even have money for food and medicine"

Belarusian journalist Andrej Gnyot, who was detained in Belgrade in 2023, is in a hopeless situation. He is currently under house arrest, and has no income for even the most basic needs

Belarus

20.July 2024 B. B.

A German was sentenced to death in Belarus on charges of being a "mercenary and terrorist".

The alleged crimes committed by the German Rico Krieger are espionage, terrorism, creating an extremist group and planning an illegal operation involving firearms and explosives. There is no information on whether Krieger appealed the verdict, or whether it came into effect

Persecution of journalists

05.July 2024 B. B.

Journalist associations: Andrej Gnjot must not be extradited to Belarus

Serbia must not extradite journalist Andrej Gnjot to Belarus, where he could be accused of participating in an extremist group, which carries a sentence of up to ten years in prison, is the position of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and all Serbian journalist associations and organizations

International relations

21.June 2024 Sanja Kljajic/DW

Belarusian journalist imprisoned in Serbia: The dictatorial system kills people because they think differently

The High Court in Belgrade made a first-instance decision to extradite Belarusian activist and journalist Andrej Gnjot to Belarus. He was arrested on an Interpol warrant for alleged tax evasion in Belarus, but Gnjot claims it was political persecution. He appealed to the Court of Appeal, whose final decision is still pending

Solidarity with Russia

29.May 2024. IM / Radio Free Europe

Lukashenko stopped the participation of Belarus in the European military agreement

The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) – first signed by NATO and the Warsaw Pact near the end of the Cold War in 1990 – limits the number of tanks, fighter jets and other military equipment that can be deployed between the Atlantic and the Urals

Migrants and Serbia

19.February 2024. Sanja Kljajic/DW

Belarusian activist facing extradition from Serbia: I wouldn't want to end up like Navalny

Belarusian director, journalist and political activist Andrej Gnjot is facing possible extradition in Belgrade to Belarus, which charges him with tax evasion. Gnjot claims that he is a victim of political persecution

The World

03.September 2023 MJ

The Nobel Foundation withdrew its invitation to Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend the ceremonies

Belarusian oppositionist Svetlana Tsykhanuskaya on Friday called on the Swedish Nobel Foundation and the Norwegian Nobel Committee not to invite representatives of the "illegitimate regime" of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to any events. The Nobel Committee met her wish, as well as requests to deny the presence of the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony to the representatives of Russia and Iran.

Belarus

27.June 2023 Z.S.

Alexander Lukashenko: The army is in a state of full combat readiness

The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, announced today at a press briefing that his country has raised combat readiness to the highest level. On the other hand, the Belarusian opposition expresses concern about the presence of the Wagnerites and warns that Russia's use of the territory of Belarus to station troops and launch an attack on Ukraine has turned into a kind of partial occupation.

Crisis in Russia

24.June 2023 S.Ć.

Prigogine: We turn around and head in the opposite direction

The leader of Wagner accepted the proposal of the President of Belarus to take steps towards de-escalation. On the table is a profitable and acceptable option for solving the situation, with security guarantees for the fighters of the group, Prigozhin explained his consent

The war in Ukraine

14.June 2023 JH

Belarus: Deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons

Vladimir Putin is deploying Russian nuclear weapons beyond its borders "because the US is doing it too", and Alexander Lukashenko accepts them "so that Belarus will deter potential aggressors". The world is watching nuclear escalation with anxiety

The World

10.April 2023. S.Ć.

Alexander Lukashenko: He is looking for the guarantees promised to him by Putin

The President of Belarus, he says, agreed with the President of Russia that in case of aggression against Belarus, Russia will protect Belarus as if it were its own territory. He asked Lukashenka for a guarantee of what was agreed upon

Belarus

05.January 2023 JH

Minsk: Trial of Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialjack

In Belarus, the trials of civil activists who face several years in prison are underway, mainly for organizing democratic protests against President Alexander Lukashenko.

The war in Ukraine

16.October 2022 MT

Russian soldiers in Belarus: A new front line?

Belarus is an ally of Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, from its territory the Russian army has already attacked Ukraine, but the Belarusian army itself has not directly participated in the fighting so far.