Key Events: April 5-11

April 12, 2021

Svetlana is My President (left); Demonstration (right) - Artist: Rufina Bazlova — *Svetlana is My President* (left); *Demonstration* (right) - Artist: Rufina Bazlova

Other in Belarus

Apr 5: Belarusian banks block accounts of politicians Tsikhanouskaya, Latushka, blogger Matolka

Bank accounts of key Belarusian opposition figures, who had been forced to operate from exile, were blocked due to the KGB directive linking them to “terrorist acts.”

Apr 6: Lukashenka proposed to reduce the number of embassies of Belarus

Belarus Foreign Affairs Ministry, acting on the orders of Lukashenka, said it would close several embassies in Western countries. Several Leaks point toward Poland, Baltic countries, and Ukraine as potential targets. Some analysts see this move as an “ideological bow” to Russia and a further shift away from multi-vector relations that had defined Belarus foreign policies in the years prior to the events following the latest presidential elections.

Apr 6: Belarus strongman picks fight with Polish community

Two weeks ago, Belarusian authorities arrested five members of the local Polish community, including the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Andzelika Borys for “inciting ethnic and religious hatred”. Belarus’s Polish minority makes up at least 300,000 of the country’s 9.5m population.Veronica Laputska, German Marshall Fund of the US, thinks that Lukashenka is looking for more political prisoners with whom he can bargain, including with the Polish government. Marcin Przydacz, Poland’s deputy foreign minister said that Polish people should agree on sanctions and decisions not only among EU countries but also with their British, American and Canadian partners.

Apr 7: Ukraine major city authorities refuse to buy Belarusian buses not to ‘finance regime’

Although the Belarusian bus manufacturer offered the lowest price and won the European Investment Bank’s tender, the Lviv authorities asked the bank to re-tender. Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovy said, “we have no right to finance the regime” and refused to buy 100 Belarusian MAZ buses.In January, the Belarusian community of Lviv appealed to mayor Andriy Sadovy not to buy MAZ buses for the city.

Apr 7: IMF sharply worsens forecast for Belarusian economy

The IMF has revised downward its October forecast about the future state of the Belarusian economy. Both the GDP growth numbers and the estimated rate of inflation are expected to fare worse than had been originally anticipated.

Apr 7: The battle for Belarus: Russified regime faces Westernizing society

The experts observe acceleration of the Belarusian regime russification while the Belarusian society sees the integration with Russia in a negative light.

Apr 9: Belarus lawmakers approve amendments that severely restrict civil rights and media

Belarusian lawmakers approved several amendments to the legislation that severely restricts civil rights and the free flow of information. These amendments: would give law enforcement officers the right to use firearms at their own discretion without waiting for a command from supervisors, would limit access to the internet for oppositional publications, would ban lawyers from defending people in some cases and shut down media outlets after two written warnings.

Apr 10: Washington Post: These are the victims of repression in Belarus

The Washington Post editorial reminds about more than 300 political prisoners held captive in Belarus. Despite the imposed US sanctions, Lukashenka hopes for the support of Russia while Russian companies are eyeing the Belarusian potash industry. The Belarus Democracy Act 2020 provides the mechanism for sanctioning Russian operatives, who are complicit in the crackdown on the regime opposition. The Editorial calls on the Biden administration to act.