Belarus Review by iSANS — July 27, 2026 

According to Ukrainian monitoring channels, 18 Russian drones were detected in Belarusian airspace between 20 and 26 July 2026. Belarusian Air Force aircraft on alert duty were scrambled to intercept them. No reports were received of any drones being shot down or crashing.

A delegation of the Vietnam People’s Army has been on a working visit to Belarus. The Belarusian Ministry of Defence announced on 21 July that the delegation held talks with Deputy Minister of Defence for Logistics Aliaksandr Masalau. The sides discussed current issues related to logistical support and prospects for further cooperation. During the visit, the Vietnamese delegation toured the 432nd Main Military Clinical Medical Centre. Visits to the 30th Railway Brigade and to light industry and food-processing enterprises supplying the Belarusian armed forces were also scheduled.

On 21 July, Aliaksandr Lukashenka signed decrees introducing personnel changes in the leadership of the Belarusian Armed Forces. According to the Ministry of Defence, Major General Aliaksandr Masalau, previously Chief of Staff for Logistics of the Belarusian Armed Forces, was appointed Deputy Minister of Defence for Logistics. His predecessor, Major General Andrei Burdyka, was dismissed from the post and retired from military service.

The Main Directorate for Combat Training of the Belarusian Armed Forces was placed under the command of Major General Dzmitry Bitny, who had previously served as Deputy Commander of the Western Operational Command. At the same time, Major General Aliaksandr Bas was relieved of his duties as Commander of the North-Western Operational Command and retired upon reaching the age limit, retaining the right to wear military uniform and insignia. No successor to command the North-Western Operational Command has yet been announced in open sources.

On 22 July, Belarusian Defence Minister Viktar Khrenin briefed Aliaksandr Lukashenka on the combat training of the Belarusian Armed Forces, the military-political situation around the country, and the participation of military personnel in the harvest campaign.

According to Khrenin, personnel training is proceeding according to plan, taking into account the findings of the comprehensive inspection conducted earlier this year. He described the security situation around Belarus as stable, stating that NATO military activity near Belarus’s borders remains minimal and that there are no indications of preparations for a surprise attack. He gave a similar assessment of the southern direction, saying that Ukrainian forces deployed to secure their own border show no signs of preparing aggressive actions.

The Defence Minister also dismissed reports that Belarus was constructing fortified areas along the Ukrainian border, describing them as part of an information campaign intended to “drive a wedge” between Belarusian and Ukrainian society. At the same time, Khrenin noted that Lukashenka’s earlier order to establish fortified areas along the country’s borders had been fulfilled: five fortified areas had been created along the western and northern directions and continue to be improved, while no defensive lines are planned along the southern border. He presented ongoing bridge and road repairs, as well as the development of new recreational areas in the Paliessie region, as elements of a state regional development programme rather than military preparations.

It is worth noting that a fortified facility was built in the Homiel District as early as 2023, and has since been used by the Belarusian Armed Forces for military exercises. One phase of the combat readiness inspection conducted in January 2026 took place at this site.

A military delegation from the Information Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army of China visited Belarus from 22 to 25 July. The Belarusian Ministry of Defence announced on 23 July that the delegation met representatives of the Communications Directorate of the General Staff and the Main Information and Computing Centre of the Belarusian Armed Forces. The sides discussed communications systems, cybersecurity, operational concepts and measures to counter cyberattacks against military command-and-control information systems. According to Valery Ravenka, Head of the Department of International Military Cooperation at the Belarusian Ministry of Defence, the focus of the visit on cybersecurity “demonstrates a high level of trust and the entry of bilateral cooperation into a new, deeper phase.”

On 24 July, Mikalai Karpiankou, Commander of the Internal Troops, addressed a meeting of the board of the Homiel Regional Executive Committee’s Internal Affairs Directorate reviewing its performance during the first half of 2026. According to the ministry’s newspaper Na Strazhe, Karpiankou praised the performance of the Homiel police, noting that the crime rate had fallen to its lowest level in the past five years. He also highlighted security in the border districts of Homiel Region, stressing the critical importance of the timely transmission of operational information and assuring local authorities that support from his service would be provided immediately if required.

On 26 July, the media outlet Flagstok reported that Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) had announced a tender for construction and restoration work on a mobile base station in the village of Tonež, Lelčycy District, near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. The procurement notice appeared shortly after This Minsk Media reported on 5 July that the tower had been struck by Ukrainian drones. The estimated value of the contract to restore the 39-metre structure is approximately USD 9,000. At the time of publication, this was the only MTS procurement specifically aimed at restoring an individual facility. The case may indicate the destruction of one of the relay stations which, according to the Ukrainian authorities, had been used by Russia to support drone attacks against targets in Ukraine.

A territorial defence exercise involving the Malaryta and Drahičyn districts of Brest Region will take place from 26 to 28 July, the Belarusian Ministry of Defence announced on 26 July. The exercise will serve as the final phase of the territorial defence training for reservists from the two districts, which has been underway from 7 to 31 July. The exercise will focus on protecting key facilities, enforcing special legal regimes, countering enemy sabotage groups, and the employment of drones and counter-drone measures. In addition to territorial defence reservists, the exercise will involve internal affairs bodies, people’s militia units and other local organisations.

On 23 July, the EU expanded its sanctions against Belarus as part of the 21st package of restrictions against Russia. For the first time, the Mozyr Oil Refinery and the Russia-registered European Trading Company — a subsidiary of the Belarusian Oil Company established to sell Naftan and Mozyr refinery petroleum products on the Russian market — were included in the asset-freeze sanctions list. Their assets in the EU are subject to freezing, and EU persons are prohibited from making funds or economic resources available to them. Previously, the EU had sanctioned the Belneftekhim concern, which includes the Mozyr refinery, but the refinery itself had not been separately listed. At the same time, the EU introduced enhanced export restrictions on dual-use goods and technologies for four Belarusian companies — CHIP AND DIP LLC, Rahačoŭ Dyjaprjektar Plant, KB Display and the Plant of Structural Components. The EU also expanded restrictions on the supply to Belarus of drone components, electronic warfare equipment, launch systems, servomechanisms, flight termination systems, and specialised materials for the aviation and defence industries. In addition, the EU banned imports of an expanded list of Belarusian goods, including copper, nickel, lead and precious metal ores, unwrought zinc, certain chemical products, glass products, vehicle bodies and automotive components. A transitional period until 25 October 2026 was established for certain previously concluded contracts. From 25 August, the ban on Belarusian citizens and residents owning, controlling or holding senior management positions in EU cryptocurrency companies will also be expanded: it will apply to all crypto-asset service providers, rather than only operators of crypto-wallets and crypto-asset custody services.

Against this background, on 23 July the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed the Miami-registered company BEL-KAP-STEEL LLC from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) sanctions list. The company had been added in 2023 together with the Belarusian Steel Works (BMZ), which owned a 50% stake in it. BMZ itself remains under US sanctions. OFAC did not explain the reasons for removing BEL-KAP-STEEL LLC from the sanctions list. No additional official information was provided regarding changes to the company’s ownership structure or any other legal grounds for the decision.

Agriculture traditionally dominated Lukashenka’s agenda during this period. On 21 July, Lukashenka held a nationwide conference call on the harvest campaign. The main emphasis was placed on disciplining the state apparatus, with governors and district officials instructed to personally supervise the harvesting and warned that they would be held responsible for crop losses and failure to meet targets.

A new and unusual instruction concerned agricultural workers who avoid work or repeatedly violate labour discipline. Lukashenka proposed sending them to military training at the border with Ukraine for two to three months: “Everyone who cannot work — into the army and to the southern border. Into the forest. Our boys, the Special Operations Forces, are dispersed along the Ukrainian border on my orders (…) It is not easy there — mosquitoes, flies, midges and everything else. Send them there, into the army. As ordinary soldiers. One week of training (grenade launcher, machine gun), and then there — under the command of the Special Operations Forces.” Shortly afterwards, military commissariat authorities indeed became involved: they visited agricultural enterprises in the Klieck, Puchavičy and Sluck districts, met with managers and workers, “familiarised themselves with the progress of the harvest” and “assessed production capacities”.

A decree was also signed allowing organisations within Belorusneft to transfer excise-free diesel fuel between each other for subsequent deliveries to agricultural enterprises and flax-processing plants. The maximum volume of such deliveries is set at 505,000 tonnes per year (Decree No. 238 of 21 July 2026).

On 24 July, a meeting was held on accelerating the implementation of key projects with foreign partners. Lukashenka demanded that personal agreements reached during his foreign visits be translated into practical implementation and increased pressure on the bureaucracy: “These trips produce considerable results. But I am afraid of red tape swallowing everything.” The main focus was on cooperation with Oman, including the construction of a pulp and cardboard mill in the Dubroŭna district of Vitsebsk Region, the establishment of a joint investment fund with the Oman Investment Authority, and the development of a Belarusian export and logistics hub in the Sohar Free Economic Zone and port. Lukashenka instructed officials to make greater use of state financing to secure Belarusian enterprises in alternative foreign markets through localisation of production and the development of service and logistics infrastructure. The meeting also presented a general pool of 60 investment projects worth around USD 6 billion for foreign investors, as well as a separate Belarusian-Chinese package of approximately 80 projects worth USD 5 billion. All foreign business trips by officials are now required to serve the promotion of specific economic projects: “No one should come back empty-handed.” Earlier, on 6 July, Lukashenka discussed these priorities with his eldest son Viktar, while on 16–18 July Foreign Minister Maksim Ryžankoŭ promoted Belarusian projects in Mozambique. The meeting continued the policy of using the administrative apparatus to implement Lukashenka’s personal foreign policy agreements.

On 22 July, Lukashenka transferred the overall supervision of the Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs to his Administration. The Commissioner is appointed and dismissed by Lukashenka. Previously, these responsibilities had been within the remit of the Council of Ministers.

The situation at the border remained broadly unchanged: Latvia remained the main direction of migration pressure, with 509 attempted illegal crossings recorded between 19 and 26 July, while the Polish section remained effectively quiet with only five attempts during the week.

The confrontation between Belarus and the Baltic states is increasingly shifting into the symbolic and administrative-legal sphere. On 23 July, the Latvian Saeima banned imports of a number of Belarusian goods, including books and printed publications. On 24 July, Riga announced new border reinforcement measures, including creation of mobile response groups. Latvia is also preparing to remove road signs pointing to Belarus. On 26 July, Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed restricting the purchase by Belarusian and Russian citizens of real estate near strategic sites, entry ban for Belarusians and Russians who support the war against Ukraine, participated in events in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, or promoted actions directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, support human rights violations or repression against civil society and democratic forces in Belarus and Russia, or pose a threat to democracy and the rule of law. The Ministry also proposed introducing a declaration condemning the war for certain categories of Belarusian citizens arriving in the country.

On 20 July, Russia announced that it had joined Lithuania’s case against Belarus before the International Court of Justice as a third party. Moscow is not formally becoming a party to the dispute but is supporting Minsk’s main legal argument: according to the Russian position, the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air regulates the activities of organised criminal groups acting for financial gain, rather than state responsibility for the politically motivated use of migration. The primary purpose of Russia’s intervention is to challenge the Court’s jurisdiction and narrow the interpretation of the applicable treaty.

During the week, Minsk made several attempts to restore selected channels of interaction with Poland. On 23–24 July, the Foreign Ministry passed information to the Polish chargé d’affaires about an alleged planned “terrorist attack” in Poland against the children of a Belarusian activist and declared its readiness to assist the investigation, while simultaneously accusing the Belarusian political emigration and Warsaw of creating conditions for radicalisation. On 24 July, Belarus’s representative at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee session proposed resuming technical dialogue on the conservation of Białowieża Forest and asked UNESCO to mediate between Minsk and Warsaw. An additional signal came from Andrzej Poczobut, who announced his intention to return to Hrodna in September after receiving, according to him, assurances from the Belarusian authorities.

On 20 July, the National Bank approved rules governing the establishment and termination of branches of foreign credit rating agencies in Belarus, the maintenance of their register and supervision of their activities. A branch will be allowed to provide rating services only after a decision by the National Bank and inclusion in the official register. The foreign agency must have operated for at least five years, be registered in a country with legal regulation of rating activities and be supervised by the relevant regulatory authority. The National Bank will also verify the agency’s compliance with Belarusian legislation, including the branch’s name and website. Overall, the regulatory framework will be similar to the requirements applied to Belarusian credit rating agencies.

The KGB updated the list of “persons involved in terrorist activities”. 14 people were added to it, of whom three were women. Among those included in the list were activists of the “Honest People” initiative — Alena Zhilachkina (Zhivahlod), Zaryna Sarokina, Aleh Davydchyk and Tsimafei Malakhouski. The verdict in their case was pronounced in absentia on 22 January 2026 by the Vitsebsk Regional Court. The defendants were charged under a number of articles of the Criminal Code, including “discrediting Belarus,” “inciting hostility,” “insulting and slandering Lukashenka,” as well as “calling for sanctions against the Republic of Belarus”. Zhilachkina was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment with a fine of 67,500 rubles (approximately 20,650 Euro). Sarokina, Davydchyk and Malakhouski were sentenced to eight years of imprisonment with a fine of 40,500 rubles (approximately 12,400 Euro) each. Previously, they were included in the list of “extremists” maintained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The “Honest People” initiative was created in 2020 to counter fraud in the presidential election.

Anatol Vaytsyahouski, who founded one of the first private newspapers in Baranovichi, “Step”, in the 1990s, was also included on the list of “persons involved in terrorist activities”. In April 2023, Vaytsyahouski was detained for comments. He evacuated to Poland with the help of BYSOL, but at the end of 2025 he returned to Belarus and was filmed in a propaganda video. He was tried on four charges: calls for sanctions; slandering Lukashenka; insulting Lukashenka; facilitating extremist activities. The minimum punishment he could receive under these charges was four years of imprisonment. However, Vaytsyahouski was sentenced to restriction of freedom. Earlier, he was included in the list of “extremists” maintained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Currently, there are 1,471 people on the “terrorist list”, 719 of whom are Belarusians.

As of 22 July, at least 29 political prisoners in Belarus have been sentenced to 20 years or more of imprisonment. Such data was published by “Viasna” Human Rights Centre. According to human rights defenders, there are two women and four foreign citizens in this group. At least six political prisoners have already received additional sentences on charges of malicious disobedience to the administration of a correctional institution, while serving their sentences. Most of the long sentences were related to charges under the article on acts of terrorism. 25 people were convicted under this charge. Ten people were convicted on charges of high treason, and three more on charges of espionage. Vyachaslau Maleychuk received the longest sentence –26 years and ten months of imprisonment. In May 2022, he was sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment under the charge of preparation of terrorist acts. Later, he was sentenced under the charge of “disobedience to the administration”.

On 21 July, Belarusian human rights organisations published a statement recognisin Yuri Trashchynski as a political prisoner. Trashchynski worked for more than 20 years as a sound engineer at the Belteleradiocompany. After the 2020 elections, he signed a petition against violence and then left for Poland. Security forces detained Trashchynski on 15 November 2025, when he returned to Minsk. On 4 May 2026, he was sentenced under the charge of participating in an extremist formation. He was charged with collaborating with Radio Raciya, which was recognised as an “extremist group” on 16 January 2026. Trashchynski was sentenced to two and a half years of imprisonment and fined 500 basic units (approximately 6,900 Euro).

The Investigative Committee announced cases of criminal prosecution for publishing on Threads and TikTok. Criminal cases were initiated under charges of inciting social discord and false reports of danger. “We noticed that for some reason people thought that no legal norms worked in Threads and TikTok. And it was necessary to remind that responsibility for their actions exists. It is clear that they were trying to turn the information [about the work of the Investigative Committee] upside down, to play on freedom of speech and human rights,” Investigative Committee spokesman Aliaksandr Sukhadolski said on STV. He noted that there were facts of arrests and criminal prosecution for publications. According to Sukhadolski, after the announcement of stricter control over social networks, people began to pay attention to what they write, and in some cases even delete posts. Natallia Sakharchuk, head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, stressed that the police can find the author of any message on the Internet, including the deleted ones. The Investigative Committee warned of stricter controls on posts on Threads and TikTok in June 2026. It was stated that most of the attention would be paid to disinformation of the population, incitement of social hatred, deliberately false messages about the danger and rehabilitation of Nazism.

Belarusian adolescents who are going to study in Poland have been called for interviews by the KGB. The interviews were conducted with students who are already studying at Polish educational institutions, as well as with those who are applying for travel documents. It was reported that the calls may also occur shortly after the visa application is submitted. According to “Viasna” Human Rights Centre, minors were called to conversations in the presence of their parents. KGB officers were interested in the name of the educational institution, the cost of tuition, the reasons why it can be free for foreigners, as well as plans of adolescents for the future, the chosen specialisation and the circle of acquaintances in Poland. Special attention was paid to contacts with other Belarusians abroad. In addition, KGB officers could view or photograph the contents of adolescents’ phones and Telegram messages. According to human rights defenders, the purpose of such meetings may be to check possible involvement in activities that the Belarusian authorities consider “destructive”. The practice of calling for interviews those who are going to study in Poland is becoming more widespread, including due to the large number of Belarusian citizens studying at Polish lyceums.

The Mahileu Region Prosecutor’s Office reported on the “fight against extremism”. Over the past six months, its prosecutors have sent 234 applications to the district courts for recognising information products as extremist materials. “An analysis of messages, posts, video files and other published content proved that it was aimed at destabilising the socio-political and socio-economic situation in the country, as well as popularising protest activity,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.

The verdict of former military officer Anton Charomnykh, who was convicted of high treason and incitement to discord in the spring of 2024, became known. According to “Viasna” Human Rights Centre, Charomnykh was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony. Charomnykh was recognised as a political prisoner.

At the end of April 2026, three local community activists were detained in Slonim. Ales Masyuk, a member of the Belaruskaya Christianskaya Demokratiya Party (Belarusian Christian Democracy Party), was detained, as well as activists of the Belaruski Narodny Front Party (Belarusian Popular Front Party) Pavel Sevastsyan and Viktar Marchyk. At the moment, there is no accurate information about their whereabouts and procedural status.

Yury Kastsyuchenka, a graduate student at the Belarusian National Technical University, was stripped of his presidential scholarship for 2026 after being found guilty of “facilitating extremist activities”. The verdict was handed down by the Minsk City Court on 24 April 2026, and entered into force on 3 May 2026. This decision was made by the Republican Council for the Support of Gifted and Talented Youth and Promising Projects, and approved by Aliaksandr Lukashenka by his order. Kastsyuchenka was included in the list of “extremists”.

The Belarusian hacktivist group Cyberpartisans and the Silent Crow group were recognised as extremist organisations by the Supreme Court of Russia. The case was considered in a closed court session. According to the court, these groups were involved in cyber attacks on critical infrastructure and government institutions of the Russian Federation. In June 2025, Cyberpartisans and Silent Crow carried out an attack on the Russian airline Aeroflot, as a result of which the company’s internal IT infrastructure was compromised and destroyed. Aeroflot was forced to cancel some flights. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under the charge of unlawful access to computer information then. Also, Cyberpartisans have repeatedly attacked the websites of Belarusian state institutions and state-owned companies, including gaining access to important data. Justifying its decision, the RF Supreme Court referred to the Belarusian precedent. In Belarus, the Supreme Court declared the informal organisation Supraciy and its member initiatives Cyberpartisans, Druzhyny narodnoy samooborony – DNS (People’s Self–Defence Squads – DNS), and Busly Lacyats to be terrorist in 2021.

Aliaksandr Danilevich, a former member of the bar, PhD in Law and associate professor at Belarusian State University’s Faculty of International Relations, was released after more than four years behind bars. He wrote on Facebook: “I’m at home” and posted his photo in Minsk. Danilevich’s term has not expired yet – human rights defenders do not yet know on what grounds he was released. Danilevich was detained by KGB officers at his workplace on 20 May 2022. According to investigation, he allegedly called for sanctions against Belarusian sports and was engaged in “discrediting domestic enterprises in front of foreign partners”. Danilevich was accused of facilitating calls for restrictive measures and facilitating extremist activities. He pleaded not guilty and insisted that he was only fulfilling his professional duties. The Minsk City Court sentenced him to ten years of imprisonment, but the Supreme Court reduced the term to six years of imprisonment. On the eve of his detention, he signed an anti-war appeal by members of the bar and lawyers in connection with Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine.

On 23 July, political prisoner Artyom Liabedzka, the son of Anatol Liabedzka, former head of the opposition United Civil Party, and currently adviser on interparliamentary cooperation to the United Transitional Cabinet, was released after serving his sentence. Artyom Liabedzka spent three and a half years in custody, part of his term – in a high-security colony. He was found guilty of “financing the activities of an extremist group”. “Viasna” Human Rights Centre then called him a political prisoner. He was first detained in the spring of 2022 for “minor hooliganism”. He was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest several times, then a criminal case was opened against him and he eventually was sentenced to three years and six months of imprisonment, formally for donations to victims of repression in 2020. In court, he stated that he was being tried instead of his father. Anatol Liabedzka shared this opinion.

A Minsk resident was sentenced to five years of imprisonment for donations of five Euro and 10 USD to the BYSOL foundation and Belarusskaya Rada Kultury. He was additionally fined 4,500 rubles (approximately 1,400 Euro). He was also accused of illegal possession of weapons due to traumatic weapons he owned. According to the press service of the prosecutor’s office, he transferred money to initiatives in 2020 and 2022. BYSOL was recognised as an “extremist formation” in 2021, and Belarusskaya Rada Kultury – in 2022 and 2026. Despite the fact that he transferred money to these organisations before they received the status of “extremist formations”, the Minsk resident was tried under the charge of financing “extremist activities”.

Vladimir Korchevny, a Russian citizen who lived in Belarus for many years, was convicted under three political charges – for discrediting Belarus, insulting Lukashenka, and calls against national security. After the outbreak of a full-scale war, he publicly supported Ukraine. It was probably because of these publications that he was detained. The verdict is unknown, but it has already entered into force. Korchevny was added to the list of “extremists”.

On 24 July, the Hrodna Regional Court sentenced social activist Valiantsina Navumava to seven years of imprisonment. She was found guilty of facilitating extremist activities, inciting social hatred, slander, violating the secrecy of correspondence, insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka, insulting a government official, abusing state symbols and insulting a judge. She was detained on 5 September 2025 and placed in detention centre No. 1 in Hrodna. Navumava has long been a member of the leftist Spravedlivy Mir (Just World) party. In 2017, she was fined 15 basic units (approximately 828 Euro) in an administrative case for participating in a protest action against the decree on “parasitism”.

A former French army officer named Boris was detained. According to relatives, he has been in custody for about three months. The family claim that they do not possess accurate information about his whereabouts, health status and access to a lawyer. According to them, in April 2026 Boris came to Belarus with his wife to visit her relatives. During the trip, he went to explore the surroundings and take pictures of a train. According to his brother, Boris has been interested in railway topics since childhood and has published articles in thematic publications. At the time of the shooting, Boris was allegedly being watched by a drone, and was detained by police officers afterwards. According to the family, there were no reasons for the detention. The relatives have not received official documents about Boris’ detention. The family appealed to the President of France, the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, senators, deputies, diplomatic missions and non-governmental organisations. In response they received only confirmations of registration of appeals and messages that the case was being investigated.

The apartment of Ihar Laban, a former investigator and ex-participant of the BYPOL initiative, was put up for auction in Hrodna. Earlier, Laban was sentenced in absentia to 12 years of imprisonment in a high-security colony and fined 200,000 rubles (approximately 61,200 Euro). He was found guilty of inciting hostility, conspiracy to seize power, and creating an extremist group. The apartment is under arrest. Five people are registered in the apartment, including two minors.

Katsiaryna Mankevich, the vocalist of the bands Dymna Lotva and Hangover in Minsk, will be tried in absentia. The trial will begin in the Minsk City Court on 14 August. Mankevich is charged with propaganda of terrorism, financing of “terrorist activities”, assistance to “extremist activities”, insulting Lukashenka, and violence or threat of violence against Lukashenka.

On 20 August, the trial in absentia of five representatives of Kalinouski Regiment will begin in the Minsk City Court. Mikalai Boyka, Yuryi Makitau, Natallia Nikitsina, Kristsina Stankevich and Mikhal Chuprynski are involved in the case. They are charged with participating in a criminal organisation, conspiracy to seize power, participation in an extremist formation, participation in an armed formation or armed conflict on the territory of a foreign state, military operations, as well as recruiting or preparing persons for such participation, facilitating extremist activities, undergoing training to participate in extremist activities, and participation in a terrorist organisation.

The Belarusian human rights organisations Respect-Protect-Fulfill (RPF) and Human Constanta published an analytical report “International protection in Belarus: legislation and practice”. This is the first comprehensive study that analyses the Belarusian legislation on international protection and the practice of its application. The report is based on almost ten years of work with forced migrants and monitoring violations of their rights. It was noted that in the first decades of state’s independence, migrants viewed Belarus primarily as a transit country, but since the mid-2010s, the demand for receiving international protection in the country has increased. Despite the fact that Belarusian legislation in the field of asylum generally complies with international standards, in practice there are systemic problems. Obstacles arise at all stages of the procedure, from filing an application to judicial review of refusals. Human rights defenders reported cases of pressure on migrants, refusals to accept asylum applications, and the expulsion of people despite their intention to seek international protection or appeal against the refusal.

Former political prisoner, journalist and activist of the Union of Poles Andrzej Poczobut and the Polish section of Amnesty International submitted a joint open letter to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk asking him to improve the legal situation of Belarusians. Among the proposals were an extension of the period for which a foreigner’s travel document is issued to at least three years, and addressing the situation of Belarusian children born in Poland who have never had a Belarusian passport.

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Best regards, iSANS team