#Belarus Lukashenka handed out Lukashenka scholarships... to Lukashenka. Yep, no typo: every year he doles out "presidential" prizes for gifted students, and every year, his youngest son Kolya cashes in. If dad declares you gifted, who needs actual talent?

#Belarus Marfa Rabkova, coordinator of the Viasna Volunteer Service, turns 31 today. For the sixth time, she marks her birthday behind bars - sentenced to 15 years for her peaceful human rights work. Marfa and all political prisoners must be released immediately.

Lessons for Lukashenka from Venezuela: 1️⃣ Neither Russia nor China rushed to save Maduro. In the end, the illegitimate dictator stood alone. 2️⃣ His inner circle did not protect him either. 3️⃣ Indictments matter: they formalize illegitimacy. That is why Lukashenka fears the ICC.

#Belarus Lukashenka condemned what he called "American aggression against Venezuela," his press secretary said. The statement was published in all caps - caps lock as diplomacy 🫠

On New Year's night, Russia launched 205 attack drones at #Ukraine. 176 were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses. This is how Russia "celebrates" the New Year. #Russia must be stopped.

#Belarus A 76-year-old scientist, Valancina Lohvin, has been sentenced under multiple political charges. A longtime university lecturer and head of a Ukrainian cultural center, she now faces punishment under house arrest. Repression spares no one - not even the elderly.

149 #journalists will spend New Year’s Eve in prison in #Europe #JournalismIsNotACrime #EuropeForFreeMedia europeanjournalists.org/blog/2025/12...

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will address Belarusians tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if the regime blocks YouTube during her speech. Few people want to watch Lukashenka - but watching an address has become a tradition. Here's the link for midnight #Belarus time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq79...

Video shows the “Oreshnik” missile system entering combat duty in #Belarus. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service says the deployment is aimed primarily at pressuring the EU and NATO - not Ukraine - by enabling Russia to launch strikes on EU capitals with drastically reduced flight times.

#Belarus State media says Lukashenka has pardoned 22 people ahead of the New Year. 20 were convicted on "extremism" charges, which means political grounds. The group includes 15 women and 7 men. There is no information about forced deportations.

Dzmitry Ilyukhin, former first secretary at the Belarusian Embassy in the US, has been imprisoned in Minsk for political reasons. In 2020, as a member of an election commission in Canada, his polling station overwhelmingly supported Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya over Lukashenka.

Negotiating with Lukashenka is pointless unless he thinks you're strong. In his head, the world is a hierarchy - and he doesn't make concessions downward. He doesn't believe in the basics of international law. That's why he doesn't mind burning brudges. He thinks no one cares.

#Belarus Internet bookstore Oz.by reported that in 2025, sales of books in the Belarusian language increased by 30%. Interest is especially strong in classics. While Lukashenka is pushing a policy of russification, people are choosing otherwise.

#Belarus Repression never stops - it spreads to entire families. Two sisters were jailed after defending people beaten by riot police in August 2020. They served full prison terms and were released in 2022. But now, their mother and another sister have been arrested.

Quoted in The Parliament Magazine on Trump's #Belarus outreach: releasing political prisoners for sanctions relief is a familiar cycle. The danger isn't dialogue - it's legitimising Lukashenka while repression persists: www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article...

#Belarus I was so glad to see the released political prisoner that I ran to hug him. He smiled and said: "I saw you on TV in prison - on 60 Minutes." One of the most unexpected things I've ever heard. 60 Minutes is Russian propaganda hosted by Olga Skabeeva.

#Poland reports unidentified aerial objects from #Belarus invading airspace overnight, closing Podlasie skies for safety - likely smuggling balloons, despite Lukashenka's promises to Trump envoy to stop them. Another provocation from the regime, endangering neighbors.

My warmest wishes to friends and colleagues everywhere. May your homes be safe and your families united. I wish #Ukraine victory and a just peace, and my beloved #Belarus freedom - so that next Christmas we are home, without political prisoners. In Belarusian we say: Шчаслівых Калядаў!

In 2025, 342 people were pardoned in #Belarus - but 509 were recognized as political prisoners. Repression & arrests don't stop. At least 1,132 remain imprisoned, including 28 journalists, according to Viasna. This is the minimum confirmed by human rights defenders.

Russia violates: UN Charter Nuclear NPT Helsinki Accords Belovezha Accords Paris Charter Budapest Memo Black Sea Fleet Treaty Ukr-Ru Friendship Treaty Treaty on Azov Sea & Kerch Strait Karkiv pact Etc But Russia we will sign a legal document that we won't attack EU...

#Russia Russian authorities stripped acquired Russian citizenship from Roman Anin, founder of iStories, after his 8.5-year in absentia sentence for "military fakes" over investigations exposing Russian troops' civilian killings in Bucha. The Kremlin's revenge.

#Belarus Devastating news. Belarusian journalist and blogger Mikita Melkaziorau died suddenly in Warsaw. He was only 37. He was widely considered the best interviewer in Belarusian media. An enormous loss for all of us.

#Ukraine Musicians sang "Shchedryk" at a thermal power plant damaged by Russia. Brave, resilient, creative Ukrainians - you deserve peace on your own terms.

#Belarus How Belarusian democratic forces and our civil society received released and deported political prisoners in Vilnius, Lithuania - where I met many of them.

Lukashenka is turning #Belarus’s political prisoners into a bargaining chip: 123 released while more than 1,100 remain behind bars and new names are added every month, meaning any sanctions relief must be tied to systemic change, not one-off deals: www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrain...

#Belarus I am grateful to all our partners and allies. But let me write a thing about us, Belarusians. Our superpower is self-organisation. Look at this: volunteers gathered immediately to support those who just arrived. A process to collect data about the released is running, too. 🤍

I am honoured to see crowds gathering to greet our released political prisoners in Vilnius. Grateful to the US, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and everyone involved in helping them get back to freedom and safety. Their health is the most important. We keep fighting to release all.

Our heroes are free and safe! What an incredible joy 🤍❤️🤍 #Belarus

Belarusians answered the news of Maria Kalesnikava's release with a joyful red-lipstick flashmob: women and men, at home and in exile & friends of #Belarus abroad all posting red lips of solidarity and celebration. Despite repression, solidarity is still there. Nothing is over.

#Belarus I'm curious whether anyone has checked whether Belavia has purchased aircraft or aircraft parts that are now being used on flights to Russia and other countries, despite the conditions the US set when sanctions were suspended. I strongly suspect this is the case.

#Belarus Thank you, President Zelenskyy, for your support to the released Belarusian political prisoners and speaking with them. Journalists, activists, human rights defenders, and lawyers among them - thrilled to see them free & safe. Ukraine stands with us and we stand with #Ukraine.

#Belarus One hand releases & deports political prisoners, another jails them for years. Activist Ales Zdaravennau from Rechytsa sentenced to 10 years in a penal colony + huge fine for "treason" & "aiding extremism". Detained at Lithuanian border in March, his brother Vadzim arrested too.

The EU approved extending sanctions against the Minsk regime. Lukashenka is a threat, gestures of "goodwill," including opening the border, failed. Expanding criteria to hybrid attacks, infrastructure sabotage, and disinformation gives the EU stronger tools.

#Belarus Since yesterday, we have collected more than 240,000 EUR to help our released and deported political prisoners. If solidarity is still there, nothing is over.

Why is Lukashenka releasing political prisoners now? This is not a sign of liberalization. It is a calculated move driven by pressure, not reform. Sanctions are tightening and #Belarus’s room to maneuver is shrinking.

#Belarus Uladz Labkovich from @viasna96 said that they don't have documents, passports, and expressed full solidarity with #Ukraine. He added that, based on his experience in prison, most prisoners support Ukraine. The press conference took place in Ukraine.

In one of his first interviews, Ales Bialiatski said: "We must convey to the international community: repression in #Belarus must end. Releasing prisoners isn't enough. Otherwise, this prisoner trading will go on - freeing some, jailing others, demanding new concessions."

#Belarus What a joy it is to see @NobelPrize laureate Ales Bialiatski reunited with his wife, Natalia, in Vilnius after more than 4 years in prison. He spoke about how his correspondence was restricted but also about those who helped along the way. More than 1,000 remain jailed.

#Belarus Scholar and analyst Aliaksandr Fiaduta, who spent more than 4 years in prison and was deported to #Ukraine, mentions his Ukrainian friends who supported him throughout those years and wishes Ukraine peace - the peace it deserves, on Ukraine's own conditions.

#Belarus Check out my latest comment for Deutsche Welle on today's release of political prisoners: what Lukashenka's ambitions are, how this move relates to possible peace talks on #Ukraine, whether sanctions are working, and whether he needed Putin's approval: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7hO... (5:31)

#Belarus The I Want to Live project published the full list of released Belarusian citizens now safe in #Ukraine. The project stresses: this was not an exchange for Russian or Belarusian POWs as previously Lukashenka's spokesperson claimed.

#Belarus Lukashenka promised the US to stop weather balloons flying from Belarus into Lithuania. Wait - wasn't he just saying the regime had nothing to do with it and that Lithuania was exaggerating?

#Belarus First interview with Maria Kalesnikava after her release and deportation to #Ukraine. It always strikes me how every released political prisoner mentions those still in jail - this is our Belarusian solidarity. Our Masha is free, and it's such a relief and joy.

“Never give up!” 🤍❤️🤍

Ales Bialiatski, our Nobel Peace Prize laureate: They drove me across all of #Belarus with my eyes blindfolded. I’m still dizzy. Do they have to do this to people? No - but they can, and that’s enough for the regime.

#Belarus Ales Bialiatski is in Vilnius! Our Nobel Peace Prize laureate is finally free and safe.

#Belarus I understand that it was not expected that most of the released political prisoners would be deported to #Ukraine together with Ukrainian citizens. This may have been a last-minute decision by Lukashenka to change the route. Given the nature of the regime, I am not surprised.

Here’s how Maria Kalesnikava is meeting Viktar Babaryka and Maksim Znak after they unjustly spent more than five years behind bars. I am crying from happiness. Such a relief to see them and others free!

Both Maria Kalesnikava and Viktar Babaryka were taken to #Ukraine. These are their first photos after their release.

#Belarus In under 30 minutes, we've raised over €20,000 to support the released political prisoners. Crowdfunding continues, as they will need more help to get back on their feet. Please contribute if you can: bysol.org/be/bs/sro4na...