Belarus - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Latest Belarus News

Two of the "troubling deterioration's" poster boys, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (back to camera) and Russian President Vladimir Putin, meet in the Tver region on Ukraine in March.

Eurasian Deterioration 'Troubling'

Countries in Central Europe and Central Asia are increasingly being ruled by autocratic governments with little regard for democracy, according to the 2013 "Nations In Transit" report by democracy watchdog Freedom House. More

Belarus Imposes Third Death Sentence Of 2013

A court in the southeastern Belarusian city of Homel has handed down the country's third death sentence this year. More

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka

Obama Extends Belarus Sanctions

U.S. President Barack Obama has extended for one year the U.S. national emergency with respect to Belarus. More

Belarusian Spy Trial Begins

he trial of Belarusian opposition activist Andrey Haydukou, who is charged with high treason and espionage, has gotten under way. More

Ukraine Signs Eurasian Memorandum

Ukraine has signed a memorandum on deepening cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Commission, a regulatory body of the Eurasian Customs Union. More

More Belarus News

Latest Blog Posts

'Dare To Tell The Truth': What Press Freedom Means To Me

While Freedom House classifies 13 of RFE/RL's broadcast countries as "not free," and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) puts three of RFE/RL’s broadcast countries squarely in the worst category, RFE/RL journalists are still on the ground, determined to report the news. More

A vendor sells Mickey Mouse bags and other merchandise at a Disney flagship store in Shanghai, China.

Disney Kicks Belarus, Pakistan Out Of 'Mickey Mouse' Club

One of the world's biggest merchandising powerhouses, the Walt Disney Company, has decided to cut production of trademarked goods in a handful of countries that include Belarus and Pakistan. More

Blog Archive

Features & Commentary

Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev stands trial for possession of drugs in 2010. He was found guilty of the charges, which Amnesty International described as "fabricated," and sentenced to 2 1/2 years imprisonment.

Sex, Drugs, And Dissent: The Return Of A 'Classic Technology'

The U.S.-based NGO Human Rights Watch has slammed Azerbaijan for arresting political opponents on spurious drugs charges in the run-up to the country’s October presidential election. But it seems Baku is not alone in apparently using such tactics to muzzle dissent.

Amnesty International says abusive governments can no longer use the issue of sovereignty to justify their actions.

Amnesty Report Notes Worldwide Abuses, As Well As Courage Of Activists

In a new report, the global rights group Amnesty International documents abuses in 159 countries and territories that it says were "inflicted by those in power on those who stand in the way of their vested interests."

Interview: EU's Enlargement Chief Finds Many Ways To Say ‘More Work Needed’

Stefan Fuele, the European Union commissioner for enlargement and neighborhood policy, has called on the EU-hopeful countries of the Eastern Partnership and the Western Balkans to do more to prove their commitment to democratic values. Correspondent Daisy Sindelar spoke to Fuele during his visit to RFE/RL headquarters in Prague on May 9.

In a country that has been referred to as "Europe's last dictatorship," RFE/RL's Radio Svaboda is one of the leading news websites and one of the few media outlets accessible to Belarusians in their own language.