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Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko speaks as he meets with foreign media at his residence, the Independence Palace
Image: ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images

Belarus

For the last 30 years, autocrat Alexander Lukashenko has ruled this landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states. His opponents are in prison or have been exiled abroad.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

The former and the actual flags of Belarus flutter in front of a skyscraper during an opposition rally in 2020

5 years after protests in Belarus: Have things changed?

5 years after protests in Belarus: Have things changed?

In August 2020, mass protests rocked Belarus — but the regime clamped down hard. What's changed since then?
PoliticsAugust 8, 2025
Siarhei Tsikhanouski holding flowers and standing next to his wife

Did Trump free Belarus' opposition leader?

Did Trump free Belarus' opposition leader?

Lukashenko regime frees opposition leader after more than five years in penal camps and prisons.
PoliticsJuly 15, 202504:07 min
A young girl in a dark pink parka sits on the ground close to a woman holding a white paper cup, and beside two men. They are all wearing padded jackets with hoods and look cold and unhappy.

Fleeing, injured, and forgotten in Poland's border forest

Fleeing, injured, and forgotten in Poland's border forest

The humanitarian situation for refugees at the Polish-Belarusian border is dire. A few activists are providing help.
MigrationJuly 5, 2025
Siarhei Tsikhanouski talking to DW

Belarus: Tsikhanouski says his release gives people hope

Belarus: Tsikhanouski says his release gives people hope

Opposition leader Siarhei Tsikhanouski spoke with DW about prison conditions and his hopes for the people of Belarus.
PoliticsJune 26, 2025
Siarhei Tsikhanouski sits in an armchair and gestures as he speaks

Belarusian opposition activist Tsikhanouski speaks with DW

Belarusian opposition activist Tsikhanouski speaks with DW

He is now in Lithuania where he has been reunited with his wife, exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Human RightsJune 26, 202503:44 min
Standing in front of a sea of microphones, a skinny and serious looking Siarhei Tsikhanouski addresses the press after years in prison

Freed Belarus dissident speaks out against Lukashenko

Freed Belarus dissident speaks out against Lukashenko

After five years in prison, activist Siarhei Tsikhanouski has spoken about what he endured as a political prisoner.
PoliticsJune 24, 2025
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya seated for a DW interview

Belarus opposition: New sanctions could harm Lukashenko

Belarus has strategic importance for the security of NATO and the EU, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told DW in Brussels.
PoliticsJune 13, 202513:38 min
A view of three exiled critics of Alexander Lukashenko in their office in Warsaw

Belarusian exiles protest upcoming election from abroad

A crackdown on protests after the 2020 election forced many critics to flee. But some have continued activism abroad.
PoliticsJanuary 24, 202503:41 min
Belarusian volunteer soldiers in a combat mission

Belarusians fighting for Ukraine seek refuge in EU

Hundreds of Belarusians have volunteered to fight for Ukraine, only to be denied permission to stay in the country.
ConflictsDecember 7, 2024
Double headshot of Polina Polovinko (left), with long blonde hair and a gold-coloured top, leaning back against Dmitry Luksha, who has dark hair and a beard and is wearing a leather jacket. Both are smiling happily.

Starting a new life after political imprisonment in Belarus

Husband and wife Dmitry Luksha and Polina Polovinko, who were released in early July, told DW about their ordeal.
PoliticsSeptember 21, 2024
Belarus filmmaker Andrey Gnyot looks into the camera

Belarus: Activist fights to stop extradition from Serbia

Belarus wants Andrey Gnyot extradited from Serbia for tax evasion but he says his case is politically motivated.
Law and JusticeAugust 28, 2024
Three service members in military gear hang from parachute lines

Concern over Belarus-China military drills, near NATO border

Belarus recently joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and this week is hosting military drills with China.
ConflictsJuly 13, 2024
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