Love cannot be compelled - Artist: Lilia Kvatsabaya Top Stories Jul 3: Lithuania declares state of emergency due to migration surge from Belarus After detaining 150 illegal migrants who crossed the border from Belarus in one day, Lithuania declared a state of emergency. Lithuania government officials stated that the decision was made to access reserve state financing and find new ways to deal with the illegal immigration influx. The border tensions between Lithuania and Belarus are part of a standoff between Brussels and Minsk that escalated in May.

Human Rights violations tracker - International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Top Stories Jun 21: EU, US, UK, Canada join forces to slap sanctions on Belarus The four have imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 78 Belarus officials and 8 entities. A total of 166 people and 15 entities are now under EU restrictive measures. EU foreign ministers agreed to sanction key sectors of the Belarusian economy and major revenue sources for the regime: potash fertilizer exports, the tobacco industry, petroleum, and petrochemical products.

Artist: Lilia Kvatsabaya Top Stories Jun 14: Opposition says jailed Belarusian blogger paraded as ’trophy’ in latest public appearance Several news agencies left the press conference after jailed Belarusian journalist Roman Pratasevich joined the four uniformed officials there. Even though Pratasivech denied any wrongdoing by the state authorities after the plane carrying him was forced to land in Minsk, most of the opposition figures called his admissions coerced. “No matter what he says, let’s not forget: he is a hostage.

Belarus flight diversion - Patrick Chappatte (Der Spiegel) Top Stories Jun 10: Poland hits back as Belarus makes a Soviet invasion anniversary a public holiday Poland has criticized Belarus for establishing a holiday dedicated to people’s unity on 17 September - the day the USSR invaded Poland and Ukraine during World War II. “The establishment of a Day of People’s Unity to mark Belarus’s inclusion in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is the glorification of Soviet heritage and an attempt to cut Belarus off from its true roots," Poland said.

Dear Mr. President: The Belarus Freedom Forum appreciates your earlier statements regarding the democratic movement in Belarus. We thank you for voicing your support for the Belarusian people and strongly condemning the Lukashenka regime. We are addressing you in connection to your upcoming summit with Russian President Putin. In their struggle for freedom, the Belarusian people are standing up not only to the brutal authoritarian rule of Lukashenka but the only strong ally of the regime, the Russian Federation.

Raman Pratasevich, journalist kidnapped from hijacked Ryanair plane - coerced to do an interview on Belarus state television (ONT TV Channel/Reuters) Top Stories Jun 4: Detained Belarus dissident breaks down in state TV interview, renewing fears of coercion and torture Footage of kidnapped journalist Raman Pratasevich that aired on Belarusian state television has raised concerns that he was being coerced to take part in political propaganda under duress. Opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya suggested that Pratasevich was beaten and tortured in prison to issue his statements, as well as apparent bruises and wounds on the wrists of the journalist can be seen during the interview.

Forbidden tree - Artist: Lilia Kvatsabay Top Stories May 25: Belarus is on the agenda of President Biden’s meeting with Putin in Switzerland Belarus will be discussed during the upcoming US/Russia summit in Switzerland. President Joe Biden is expected to discuss the situation in Belarus, given that Russian allies in Belarus grounded an international Ryanair flight to arrest a journalist on board. Many hope that Biden will confront Putin for his role in enabling the Lukashenka regime, as the crackdown on dissidents intensifies there.

This week: Belarus regime is hijacking planes, cracking down on journalists, allowing police to use firearms on demonstrators & more Top Stories May 23: Ryanair flight carrying wanted Belarusian journalist forced to land in Minsk To arrest Raman Pratasevich, an exiled opposition journalist, Belarusian security forces hijacked an Irish airliner registered in Poland and flying from Greece to Lithuania. Right before Ryanair flight FR4978 could cross into Lithuanian airspace, Belarusian authorities used a combination of a fake bomb threat, instructions from Minsk air traffic control, and a military MiG-29 fighter jet to force the plane to land in Minsk.

Belarus Freedom Forum, on behalf of Belarusian-American communities, calls on President Biden, Vice President Harris, the US Congress, and the State Department to initiate an immediate international investigation, demand Belarusian cooperation with the international community, and set consequences for the actions of the Belarusian regime concerning the incident with Ryanair flight FR4978 from Athens to Vilnius on May 23, 2021. The actions of the Belarusian authorities – including a manufactured bomb threat, illicit instructions from Minsk ATC, and intimidation by a military fighter jet – that has led to the diversion and forced landing of FR4978 in Minsk in violation of international laws and the Chicago convention on international civil aviation, with the political goal of arresting an opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich, have jeopardized the lives of the passengers and crew and set a dangerous precedent that undermines the safety of journalists, dissidents, and political refugees all over the world.

Long Live Belarus - Artist: Lilia Kvatsabaya Top Story The Human Rights Center Viasna reports that 17 years old Mikita Zalatarou, suffering from epilepsy, has been kept in solitary confinement in Belarusian prison. May 15, Mikita was “rearrested” and accused of an alleged “assault” of a prison employee. Mikita told his parents that he “won’t last in an isolation cell much longer.” In February 2021, the Belarusian authorities sentenced Mikita to 5 years in a correctional colony.