BELARUS Belarusian facial recognition software tracks dissidents Mar 08: Belarus opposition leader calls for global action, not words Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled leader of the Belarusian opposition, is appealing to the Western democracies “to prove that human rights is not just words for them.” The UN Human Rights Council is expected to adopt a resolution on the crisis in Belarus. Tsikhanouskaya would like the resolution to create a group of experts to monitor deteriorating conditions in Belarus.

President Biden and members of the U.S. Congress, On behalf of the Belarusian Americans Communities, we call on President Biden and members of the U.S. Congress to make public statements on March 25, 2021, in a show of solidarity with the Belarusian people fighting for freedom against Lukashenka’s ruthless regime and for independence of their country. We urge President Biden and members of the U.S. Congress to recognize March 25 as the Belarusian Independence Day and the white-red-white flag as the symbol of Belarusian independence and sovereignty.

BELARUS March 8: International Women’s Day Mar 1: Belarus enforces harsher penalties for protesting. Starting March 1, the Belarusian regime adopted new laws that significantly increase fines and introduce lengthier prison sentences for participating in unauthorized protests. Mar 2: Authoritarians emboldened by weak international response to the events in Belarus. While the EU, UK, and US offered their support to the opposition and have imposed personal sanctions against leading figures of the regime, the limited sanctions have not produced a significant impact.

BELARUS Victim of politically motivated case is facing up to death penalty in charges Feb 22: Man is facing possible death sentence for driving away from security forces. Alexander Trocki, former deputy chairman of the board of JSC MTBank and director of Aliko-Trade company is accused of attempted murder of an employee of the internal affairs bodies. On Aug 12, Trocki’s car was stopped by unidentified security forces in balaclavas, who threatened him with a gun and began hitting his car.

BELARUS Journalists sentenced to prison Feb 15: Belarus targets journalists, activists in new raids. Authorities in Belarus raided homes and offices of journalists and human rights activists Tuesday in the latest move to squelch protests against authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Police searched the offices of the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Viasna human rights center as well as the apartments of its members, confiscating their equipment. More than 30 people were briefly detained, and at least three remained in police custody, according to the activists.

BELARUS Belarusian film about August events selected for Berlin Film Festival Feb 9: TV journalists face three years in prison for reporting on Belarus protests. Two Belarusian journalists working for a Polish-based Belarusian channel Belsat are in court today. Belarusian authorities accused Kaciaryna Andreeva and Daria Chultsova of organizing “actions that grossly violate public order”. Kaciaryna and Daria deny the charges. The journalists are facing three years in prison. Feb 10: Is Russia slowly annexing Belarus in plain sight?

BELARUS US Ambassador Julie Fisher with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Jan 31: Switzerland reporter detained in Belarus. Switzerland’s foreign minister said Sunday that a reporter for the country’s public broadcaster who was detained by police in Belarus has been freed. Luzia Tschirky, a correspondent for Swiss broadcaster SRF, said she was detained by masked men as she was heading to meet an acquaintance for coffee in Belarusian capital Minsk. SRF condemned the incident, saying Tschirky was detained “for no reason” and adding that she has a valid press accreditation for Belarus.

BELARUS Jan 25: Up to 15 days in jail. New sentences for displaying flags and balloons on private balconies in Minsk. Minsk Lenin court has reviewed the case of Ivan Kavalchuk who was arrested yesterday for displaying white-red-white flag on the balcony window of his apartment. After the judge asked him why he displayed the flag in such colors, he replied “I like the color combination”. According to spring96.org, Ivan has received a sentence of 15 days in jail.

BELARUS Safety Index 2021 Jan 18: Belarus stripped of ice hockey world championship after crackdown on protesters. Belarus has been stripped of the right to co-host this year’s ice hockey world championship due to safety concerns over political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic there, the sport’s governing body said on Monday, in a blow to President Alexander Lukashenko. Volkswagen’s Skoda Auto and Liqui Moly, sponsors of the tournament, had threatened in the last few days to pull out if the event was to be held in Minsk.

BELARUS Jan 13: Outrage about hosting 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus. René Fasel, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, is facing mounting criticism from Belarusian opposition and the international community for his controversial visit to Belarus and meeting with the unrecognized President of Belarus, Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Later, Fasel commented that “meeting went a bit wrong”. Jan 14: Belarusian blogger takes hunger strike into second month despite ‘worsening’ health.