Ales Bialiatski, a human rights advocate who won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, is serving a 10-year prison sentence in Belarus and is one of hundreds of its political prisoners.

OSCE observers not invited to monitor upcoming presidential election in Belarus. Belarus to host over 13,000 Russian troops for Zapad-2025 joint military drills with Russia. Belarus sentences EU diplomatic staffer to four years in prison.

The aggressor country of russia intends to annex Belarus within the next ten years in order to further use the economic resources and geographical position to

The pardoned group includes three women and 20 men. Among them, 14 have chronic illnesses, and 12 have children. Lukashenko's press service stated that all the pardoned individuals had submitted requests for clemency,

Jailed Belarusian politician Viktor Babariko, who was arrested while trying to run in a 2020 election against President Alexander Lukashenko, has been allowed to send a message to his family for the first time in nearly two years.

About 17,000 unauthorised migrants crossed eastern land borders in total, according to border protection agency Frontex

A free expression round-up produced by IFEX's Regional Editor Cathal Sheerin, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.

Ukrainian transit gas deal to Europe ended on Jan. 1. For now, the most acute effects are being felt in a region called Transnistria, on the eastern edge of Moldova.

Exiled Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has told AFP the forthcoming presidential election there will be a "sham" and urged dissidents to prepare for an opportunity to change their country.

A total of 1,034,194 European residents have visited Belarus since 15 April 2022. They included 325,855 people from Latvia, 588,131 people from Lithuania, 104,210 people from Poland and 15,998 citizens from the 35 countries which were added to the visa waiver program on 19 July 2024.

Belarus hosted 4,886 travelers from 38 countries included in the visa-waiver program. Most travelers came from Belarus's neighboring countries: Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland.

The beginning of 2025 was marked for Belarus by a sudden increase in interest from external players. In the sights of Western countries, as well as Ukraine, were the upcoming presidential elections in the republic on January 26,