Key Events: June 7-13
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.
Jun 8: Issue of operating license from Unit 1 prompts protests from Lithuania
The Belarus Nuclear Power Plant, freshly built in Ostravets, Grodno Region, has received a license from the Emergencies Ministry, signaling the start of its commercial operation. The Lithuanian government requested unit 1 to be suspended. The European Commission (EC) expressed regret over Belarus’ decision to begin operating the plant without adhering to all the safety recommendations outlined in the European Union’s (EU’s) 2018 peer review of the stress test report.
Jun 9: Belarus opposition leader urges international probe of govt and speaks at Wachu European Forum
This week the democratic Belarusian leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made a statement in the Czech parliament and spoke at the European Forum at Wachau upon the personal invitation of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. She called the crackdown in Belarus “a terror that our country has not experienced since the time of Stalinism. Tsikhanouskaya urged European countries to create an international tribunal to prosecute the Belarusian government and the longtime authoritarian leader Lukashenka for their crimes.
Analysis
Jun 7: To get at Lukashenka, punish his ‘moneybags’
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ John Hardie argues that the West should go after Lukashenka’s money to deal with the regime effectively. To start, it could sanction Lukashenka’s “wallets,” coordinate the expulsion of KGB officers working under cover of diplomatic immunity, and increase support for the Belarusian opposition, independent media, and civil society.
Jun 10: Banks in spotlight over Belarus regime finance in London
Last year, international banks helped Belarus issue state bonds worth $1.25bn in London. In doing so, they came into potential conflict with their ethical conduct policies and an increasingly sensitive investment climate, openDemocracy analysts report. When the banks in charge of managing Belarus’ London listing – Citi, Raiffeisen, Société Générale were asked how they manage Belarus ESG risk, they refused to comment.
Belarus and US
Jun 7: Defiant Belarus snubs US Ambassador
After the United States refused to recognize the results of last year’s presidential election, Belarus barred the US ambassador, Julie Fisher, from entering the country. She now faces the challenging task of managing the US Embassy in Minsk and overseeing relations with Belarus from Vilnius, Lithuania, where she expects to receive accreditation. Meanwhile, the new restrictions on diplomatic and maintenance staff assigned to the US Embassy in Minsk will go into effect on Sunday.
Jun 9: US Ambassador to Belarus says new sanctions are coming ‘soon’
According to the US Ambassador to Belarus Julie Fisher, the United States, in coordination with allies, will impose new sanctions on Belarus “soon.” In response to a question about specific targets, she declined to name them but said that Magnitsky sanctions may be applied, which would focus on significant human rights violations and corrupt practices.
Jun 9: US lawmakers back Belarus opposition as Russia closes in
Senator Shaheen and Senator Portman in their interview with NPR discuss the recent Senate hearing on Belarus, talk about the upcoming US-Russia Summit and debrief their visit to Lithuania, Ukraine and Georgia. Senators reassure that Belarus democratic opposition has bipartisan support in the US Senate and praise efforts of opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya.
Belarus and Europe
Jun 11: Parliament calls for harsh economic sanctions on ‘criminal’ Belarusian regime
The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for further economic sanctions on Belarus’s state-run companies in the oil, potash, steel, and wood-processing industries. Also, the cooperation and financing of the Belarusian state-owned banks must be halted, and Belarus’ suspension from the SWIFT banking system must be considered.
Jun 12: Bloomberg: Belarus role in Ryanair landing was ‘gangsterism,’ Irish PM says
Governments from Europe to the U.S. rejected Lukashenka’s explanation that the detour under escort by a MiG-29 fighter jet was necessary because of a bomb threat that turned out to be fake. Major West countries have demanded the release of the journalist, Raman Pratasevich, who was coerced into praising Lukashenka on Belarus state TV last week.
Jun 13: Vatican supports ‘legitimate demands of Belarusian people’
Head of the Vatican Press Hall Matteo Bruni has published a statement on Belarus. “The Holy See continues to closely follow the situation in Belarus and the steps that are being taken by various stakeholders, remaining committed to achieving democratic and peaceful ways to fulfill the legitimate demands of the Belarusian people,” reads the official statement.
Belarus and Russia
Jun 12: Russian Ambassador to Belarus commented on integration roadmaps
Russian Ambassador to Belarus Evgeni Lukyanov recently said that 27 out of 28 integration programs, part of the Union State integration program, have been completed. While Russia and Belarus have not yet agreed on a road map of energy integration, the tax policy road map has been mostly approved. Lukyanov also promised that Russia would not leave Belarus in case of new sanctions imposed by the EU.
Repressions in Belarus
Four members of a Belarusian presidential candidate’s team have been sentenced to five years in a maximum-security prison for preparing “mass riots” in the wake of last year’s contested election. The main evidence presented in the trial was laser pointers found in the car of detainees during last August’s nationwide mass protests.
Jun 11: Ex-prosecutor’s apartment vandalized, as he is taken away by masked man
Unidentified masked men in bulletproof vests have trashed the apartment of former prosecutor Yauhen Babak, later taking him away. Yauhen ordered an inspection into the brutal beating of bikers by people in traffic police uniforms during mass protests in August 2020. The request was ignored by the prosecutor’s office, which prompted Babak’s resignation, as he no longer wanted to play part in the justice system of silence and ignorance.
Jun 11: Three Belarusian-speaking professors forced to quit jobs at Mahiliou university
Three Belarusian-speaking professors were fired from their positions at Mahiliou State University. All firings appear to be politically motivated, as all the three professors received honors for their contributions to the University just a year ago.
Inside Belarus
Jun 12: ‘Always nearby’: Belarusian ruler’s right-hand man, rumored to run Death Squads, abruptly resigns
Viktar Sheiman, the Head of Lukashenka administration, who had held top-level security positions at Lukashenka’s administration since 1994, has unexpectedly resigned. While he was the Secretary of the Security Council the opposition was crushed, and several political opponents of Lukashenka disappeared. The opposition claims that Sheiman oversaw a death squad which was responsible for more than 30 deaths and disappearances.
Jun 8: Belarus’s Lukashenka endorses ‘anti-extremist’ amendments to criminal code
The amendments to the Criminal Code signed into law by Alyaksandr Lukashenka further restrict civil rights and information flow. As a result, the punishments for “dissemination of false information” on the Internet, collaboration with “extremist” groups, and violations of the law for organizing public gatherings and protests are toughened. The amendments also increase penalties for refusing to cooperate with law enforcement officers and damaging law enforcement property.
Jun 11: Belarusian exiles fear Lukashenko’s reach
The Belarusian exiles in Europe worry about their safety as the Belarusian security forces “will stop at nothing” to retaliate against their political opponent. 17000 Belarusians received Lithuaninan national visas in the past nine months.
Jun 12: Why Western sanctions could push Belarus to switch to Chinese tech
Amid Western sanctions, Belarusian Prime Minister recently responded by saying his country was ready to replace US and European technologies with those from Russia and Asia, especially from China. Experts said the Western sanctions might lead to stronger cooperation in technology with China. Associate professor of international relations at East China Normal University, said the two sides were likely to deepen cooperation in military industry, 5G, chemical fertilizers and energy.
Interesting Read:
Rights experts decry ‘black hole’ for media freedoms in Belarus
A special UN panel of five rapporteurs expressed outrage at the arrest, the alleged torture, and the forced confessions of opposition journalist Roman Protasevich. Appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, they issued a statement on media freedom in Belarus, describing the recent events as “entering a black hole with no end in sight.”
Belarus plane: Who is Russian student Sofia Sapega?
Russian national Sofia Sapega is being detained in Minsk as a “preventive measure.” Earlier this month, Belarusian authorities arrested Roman Protasevich and Sofia Sapega, an international law student at the European Humanities University in Vilnius. In letters to her family from prison, Sapega said she was “holding up” and was refusing to “give in.”
Belarus protest documentary premiered at Germany’s Berlinale
The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival with opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in attendance. It is called, simply, ‘Courage.’