Belarus is the last country in Europe to apply the death penalty. It often does so in secret.
Belarus’ anti-drug campaign is imprisoning thousands of young people on possession charges. But the evidence often doesn’t add up – or warrant such strict sentences.
There isn’t much space in Belarus for public discussion about the country’s traumatic past (or authoritarian present). This theatre in Brest is doing what it can to involve people in public debate. RU
Przy białorusko-polskiej granicy utknęły setki zdesperowanych uchodźców z Czeczenii, którzy próbują przedostać się do Unii Europejskiej. Wielu miejscowych podchodzi do przybyszów z niechęcią – choć część decyduje się pomagać. English, RU
Hundreds of desperate Chechen refugees are still stranded on the Belarusian border, waiting to enter the EU. Many locals are sceptical of the newcomers — but some have stood up to help. RU, Polski
If you want your kids to grow up speaking Belarusian, you’ll need to fight for it. RU
Three decades after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine, Belarus is building its first nuclear power station. Concerns about the project’s safety aren’t deterring the authorities.
In Belarus, anarchists have made a name for themselves during the recent wave of protests which have rocked the country. We speak to Mikola Dedok, an anarchist activist, on apathy, politicisation and the failures of opposition politics. Русский
Thousands have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest a law penalising the unemployed. But there’s every chance that the Lukashenka government is playing the long game.
A new crisis in the east of Europe may be in the making. Europe should assess how it will act — if and when it erupts.
What’s behind the bad blood in today’s Belarusian-Russian relations? Русский
Two new opposition candidates prepare to take their seats after rigged parliamentary elections in Belarus. As ever, the real losers are ordinary citizens.
