On 22 August while meeting military personnel in Hrodna Province, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka announced that his opponents had — with the aim of bringing about a “colour revolution”— been attempting to divert his attention from the domestic situation by creating tension on the Western borders. He specifically blamed NATO and ordered his troops to “defend […]
Following the 9 August Presidential Elections, Belarus is witnessing the largest public protests in its history. Hundreds of thousands of people are protesting in the capital Minsk, cities and towns across Belarus demanding the release of political prisoners, investigation of police brutality, the resignation of Aleksander Lukashenka and fair elections. From the very beginning, the […]
On 18 August, president Alyaksandr Lukashenka convened his National Security Council with a focus on “external intervention” in the current protests in Belarus. He cited military threats on the “Western borders”, although a couple of weeks ago he had blamed Russia. This shift in rhetoric coincides with the conditions set forth by Putin for providing […]
We would like to encourage media, experts and policy-makers working on Belarus to speak primarily to Belarusians to understand what is happening in the country. It is their country and they need to have their voice heard not only inside Belarus but also abroad. Belarus Digest compiled a list of people based in Belarus or […]
On 9 August, the day of the presidential elections, soon after the polling stations closed, protesters began to take to the streets of Belarusian cities. The rallies of thousands continued throughout the country in the following days. The authorities’ attempts to severely suppress the movements only resulted in increased protests. An unusual feature of these […]
On 13 August, the Belarusian authorities stopped deploying special riot police against presidential election protesters. This move appeared to be a step toward a peaceful solution. Yet in two phone conversations with Vladimir Putin this weekend, Belarusian president Alyaksandr Lukashenka returned to militant rhetoric. He announced that in the event of further escalation, Putin had […]
On 14 August on Independence Square in the Belarusian capital Minsk, for the first time in 10 years, a rally of thousands of opponents of the authorities took place. And for the first time during the regime of President Alexander Lukashenka, a rally at this location was held without the arrest of peaceful demonstrators. This […]
Belarus stands before a critical chapter in its history. Following a rigged election in which the incumbent claimed an absurd 80% of the vote, thousands took to the streets demanding free and fair elections and an end to repression. This is an unprecedented show of support for democratic values in a country that has experienced […]
Today the interest in what is happening in Belarus is greater than ever. At the same time, we witness a catastrophic lack of reliable and timely information on events in Belarus in English. If this crowdfunding campaign is successful, Belarus Digest will resume its work until the situation in the country becomes calmer. Belarus Digest […]
Since the 9 August presidential vote, the situation in Belarus has been changing rapidly every day. Belarusians do not believe the officially announced results: 80% for the incumbent Alexander Lukashenka and 10% for his main challenger Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya. Since Sunday evening, public peaceful protests and solidarity actions have taken place across Belarus. Domestic observers characterise […]
The presidential election campaign in Belarus has caught many in the country and outside by surprise. The authorities, the opposition and policy-makers in other countries are now considering possible strategies, but often without objective information from Belarus that is not driven by a particular political agenda. This brief post attempts to respond to some common, […]
We see a catastrophic lack of quality and timely information on events in Belarus in English. We are thinking of trying to revive, then temporarily, Belarus Digest. We ran out of funding a year and a half ago, but now it may possible to revive Belarus Digest, even temporarily, relying on donations of the readers. […]
UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, the Ostrogorski Centre and the Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum invites to the Annual London conference on Belarusian Studies. The conference will take place on 21–22 February 2020 at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) and the Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum in London. […]
The scene is becoming increasingly common in the U.S.: Consumers are replacing a trip to the corner pharmacy with a click onto the Internet. This is where they find hundreds of websites selling prescription medicines and other health products. Many of these are safe, legal companies that genuinely offer convenience and privacy. They use the […]