Belarus Review by iSANS — June 23, 2025 

According to Ukrainian monitoring channels, between 16 and 22 June, at least three Russian “Shahed”-type unmanned aerial vehicles were recorded in Belarusian airspace. No reports regarding their destruction have been received.

From 16 to 18 June, command and staff exercises were held as part of territorial troops’ training in the Cherykau and Krasnapollie districts of the Mahiliou region. During the exercises, scenarios were practised involving the protection and defence of territorial defence facilities, combating enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups, and enforcing martial law measures, including with the involvement of people’s militia units. Particular attention was given to the command and control of diverse territorial defence forces, including territorial troops, internal affairs bodies, and internal troops’ units.

On 16 June, the Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Gasanov, arrived in Belarus on an official visit. On 17 June, the Minister of Defence of Belarus, Viktar Khrenin, held talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart. The parties discussed the current state of bilateral military cooperation and outlined paths for its intensification in areas of mutual interest. Providing a general characterisation of the countries’ relations, Viktar Khrenin stated: “We have no problems in our relations or mutual understanding. We simply need to review the main areas of cooperation. […] I would once again like to emphasise the high level of our bilateral relations in the military sphere, and most importantly — the existing mutual interest and potential for their further deepening.” In turn, Zakir Gasanov noted that the Azerbaijani side highly values the military and military-technical cooperation between the two countries and is committed to its further strengthening.

From 18 to 27 June, mobilisation exercises are being conducted with the military commissariats of the Brest region. During the exercises, reservists will refresh their skills in weapons and equipment handling, and activities will be carried out related to notifying and summoning reservists to the military commissariats. Units of the Special Operations Forces will take part in the exercises.

On 19 June, the Head of the Department for International Military Cooperation, Valery Ravenka, held an accreditation meeting with the newly appointed Military Attache at the Embassy of Iran in Belarus, Colonel Ali Tavakoli. During the meeting, the parties discussed the state and prospects of bilateral military cooperation between the countries and exchanged views on international and regional security issues. It is the first time that a Military Attache Office of Iran has been opened in Minsk.

On 19 June, presidential decrees were signed, conferring general ranks upon officers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus. The military rank of “Major General” was awarded to: Dzmitry Kuchuk — Head of the Minsk Suvorov Military School; Dzmitry Streshinsky — Head of the Territorial Defence Directorate and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus; Andrej Rasjuk — Head of the Main Organisational and Mobilisation Directorate and Deputy Chief of the General Staff; and Aliaksandr Lavrenau — Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the troops of the Western Operational Command of the Armed Forces.

On 19 June, the State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, Aliaksandar Valfovich, following the meeting of the CSTO Security Council Secretaries Committee, announced that the “Oreshnik” missile system would be deployed on Belarusian territory by the end of 2025. According to him, the deployment locations have already been determined and technical preparations are underway. Valfovich noted that this decision is being implemented following agreements between Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Vladimir Putin reached at the end of 2024. “The work is ongoing. Deployment sites have been identified. The decisions set before us are subject to unconditional execution,” he emphasised. The number of missile systems has not been disclosed; however, according to Valfovich, even a limited number of units will provide reliable deterrence against potential threats.

On 21 June, during a conversation with journalists, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, commented on the upcoming “Zapad-2025” exercises. In response to a journalist’s question about whether the drills could become a platform for launching an offensive against Ukraine, Syrskyi said that such a scenario could not be ruled out, particularly in light of “the insidious attack in February 2022 from the territory of Belarus, when, following similar exercises, enemy troops were not withdrawn to their permanent deployment sites.”

Following the visit of the Special Representative of the President of the United States Keith Kellogg to Minsk, 14 Belarusian political prisoners, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski, were released and handed over to American consular staff at the Belarus–Lithuania border, before being evacuated to Vilnius. Among the recently freed were Ihar Karney, Natallia Dulina, Siarhei Sheleg, and Kiryl Balakhnou. The moment of Tsikhanouski’s reunion with his wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces, was widely covered by Western media outlets. The U.S. President Donald Trump also responded personally to the release on the social media platform X. Shortly afterwards, a press conference was held with the released Belarusians, during which they spoke about harsh conditions of their imprisonment, the pressure they endured, and the circumstances surrounding their release. Tsikhanouski stated that he had “almost forgotten how to speak,” having been held in complete isolation in a solitary cell, denied medical care, and provided with insufficient food. He also made it clear that he would not interfere in the activities of Tsikhanouskaya’s office, fully recognising her as the legitimate leader of the democratic movement. However, he announced his intention to continue resisting the Lukashenka regime and stressed that President Trump had the necessary influence to ensure that “all political prisoners in Belarus could be freed within a month,” urging media outlets to help bring this about. According to Tsikhanouski, shortly before his release, he was pressured by KGB officers to sign a request for a pardon. They allegedly told him that the Belarusian issue would be addressed during upcoming negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the West, in which Lukashenka was reportedly prepared to release all political prisoners in exchange for the complete lifting of sanctions. Throughout the interview, Tsikhanouski repeatedly emphasised that “the main evil is Putin,” asserting that without regime change in Russia, there could be no free Belarus. He also expressed unwavering support for President Zelenskyy.

During the press conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed her profound gratitude to all those who contributed to what she called a “shared victory.” In her public remarks, Tsikhanouskaya said she had waited five years for this moment, and pledged that she and her husband would continue the struggle for a free Belarus and for the release of all remaining political prisoners. She thanked international partners, institutions, and individual leaders who played decisive roles in the release. “I want to personally thank President Donald Trump and his administration — without their efforts, this moment would have been impossible,” she said. She extended particular appreciation to General Keith Kellogg, John Cole, and Congressman Chris Smith, noting their pivotal role in securing the release not only of Belarusians, but also of Latvians, Estonians, Poles, Japanese, Swedes, and Americans. Tsikhanouskaya stressed that the success of the operation was made possible by international solidarity. She highlighted the essential support of Lithuania, which provided refuge to the democratic forces of Belarus, and Poland, which welcomed thousands of Belarusian citizens fleeing repression. She also acknowledged the strong backing of global leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, Roberta Metsola, Keir Starmer, and heads of governments across the European Union and Northern Europe. She gave special thanks to Radoslaw Sikorski and Boris Johnson, who symbolically “adopted” Siarhei Tsikhanouski as part of the international parliamentary initiative to adopt political prisoners, and to the many MPs who took similar action. “Your support ensures that these people are not forgotten,” she said. Tsikhanouskaya also expressed her deep appreciation to her team, who had worked tirelessly over the years to bring about this moment, and to all Belarusians who, she said, “never gave up and continued demanding the release of political prisoners.” She also acknowledged Steve Capus, President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, who was present, for his instrumental role in securing the release of journalists such as Ihar Karney and Andrei Kuznechyk (who had been released earlier). “We now await the release of Ihar Losik and the 38 other journalists still behind bars, along with over 1,150 Belarusians who remain unjustly imprisoned,” she said, naming among them Ales Bialiatski, Maria Kalesnikava, Viktar Babaryka, Andrzej Poczobut, Mikalai Statkevich, and Viktoryia Kulsha. Despite the recent progress, Tsikhanouskaya warned that repression in Belarus remains severe. “People continue to die in prison or shortly after release. This must stop. Political persecution in the country must come to an end,” she said. She reiterated her call for the unconditional release of all political prisoners and a halt to politically motivated prosecutions. She concluded by reaffirming her commitment to work closely with President Trump’s administration and all allies across Europe and the Atlantic to achieve full freedom for Belarus. “Yesterday’s release was a step in the right direction, but it must not be the last,” she said. “I call on Aliaksandr Lukashenka to release the remaining hostages. This is the necessary first step toward national dialogue — something our country urgently needs.” Tsikhanouskaya pledged to strengthen the democratic movement, support Ukraine, and ensure accountability for those responsible for repression. “The democratic forces of Belarus will continue their work until freedom, independence, and democracy are restored to our country.”

On 21 June, the Belarusian regime released fourteen political prisoners, among them Siarhei Tsikhanouski. The move prompted speculation about Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s motives and what he may be expecting in return. Commenting on the release, the head of the KGB, Ivan Tertel, stated that Minsk is counting on “reciprocal steps from other states” — a remark widely interpreted as an invitation for dialogue or concessions. According to Aliaksandr Klaskouski, political analyst at the Pozirk agency, Lukashenka may already view the gesture as a success, as it has raised the level of diplomatic engagement with the West. He pointed out that several American diplomats have visited Minsk in recent months, and now a senior figure such as General Keith Kellogg has travelled to the Belarusian capital — a significant shift after years of near-total diplomatic isolation. Grigory Nizhnikov, an expert at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Lukashenka may not have gained anything concrete from the prisoner release other than the appearance of renewed relevance: “The visit by Kellogg was, in itself, already a gift.” At the same time, Lesia Rudnik, Director of the Centre for New Ideas, noted that this development could signal the beginning of a broader negotiation process. However, she cautioned against expecting immediate concessions from the West, stating: “There may be discussions around the United States advocating for the easing of sanctions against the Belarusian regime.” Nonetheless, Rudnik emphasised that any meaningful reintegration of Belarus into the international community would be difficult without the European Union’s involvement. Meanwhile, Kamil Klysinski of the Centre for Eastern Studies in Warsaw argued that Lukashenka’s primary objective is the easing — or even suspension — of U.S. sanctions. However, he underlined that such outcomes remain far off: “At present, there is no evidence to suggest that this is within reach. The effect remains largely symbolic — a matter of optics, with American officials making a rare visit to Minsk.”

Keith Kellogg, Special Representative of the U.S. Presidential Administration, offered remarks on social media platform X, calling the outcome the result of “great teamwork”. According to Kellogg, the U.S. delegation met with Aliaksandr Lukashenka and his team, with John Cole leading negotiations on bilateral relations. The talks, he stated, resulted in the release of long-detained political prisoners from six different countries, including Japan and Poland. Kellogg noted that he had discussed with Lukashenka the ongoing war in Ukraine, emphasising that President Donald Trump is doing “everything he can to stop the war and end the bloodshed”. According to Lukashenka’s press secretary, Natallia Eismant, the negotiations at the Palace of Independence lasted six and a half hours and involved Belarusian and American delegations. The agenda included a wide range of international issues, regional security, and the state of Belarus–U.S. relations. Lukashenka remarked on the global attention surrounding the visit, saying: “Your visit has created quite a stir around the world. But I am surprised: why is that so? Can’t we have a normal dialogue and talk about our affairs, about relations between Belarus and the United States?” Addressing Kellogg directly, he added, “I am very happy to meet you, General. I sincerely hope our conversation will be honest and open. Otherwise, what is the point of meeting? If we try to outsmart or deceive each other, we will not achieve anything.” In response, Kellogg thanked the Belarusian side for their hospitality and for the opportunity to engage in dialogue. He warned of the dangers of the current geopolitical climate, stating: “We are living in a very dangerous time, when the crises we are facing can rapidly escalate and spiral out of control if we are not wise and fair.”

Following the release of the popular opposition figure Siarhei Tsikhanouski and several other political prisoners by the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys stated that this move alone does not provide sufficient grounds for a revision of sanctions against Belarus. “This is the direction Lukashenka must take before we can even begin considering a change in our sanctions policy,” Budrys said. “Lithuania remains aligned with the European Union’s sanctions regime and maintains its own national measures as well.” According to the minister, any discussion about easing or lifting sanctions must begin with the release of all political prisoners held by the regime in Minsk. Budrys also noted that, in light of recent US diplomatic efforts, Lithuania had hoped for the release of several Lithuanian citizens and Belarusian residents with Lithuanian residency permits, who remain imprisoned in Belarus for political reasons. However, this did not happen. On Saturday, 14 Belarusian political prisoners were released, but Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist and activist from the Union of Poles in Belarus sentenced to eight years in prison, was not among them. Speaking to Fakt, Pawel Wronski, a representative of Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that “he was at the top of our list”. “The United States says this is just the beginning of negotiations,” Wronski noted. Among those released were three Polish citizens, including Jerzy Zywaleuski, who had been accused of espionage.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda believes there is no cause for concern regarding the upcoming Russian-Belarusian military exercises “Zapad-2025”, scheduled for this autumn, Delfi reports. “These drills are nothing extraordinary. They merely reflect the Russian Federation’s generally aggressive posture, but they are not aimed at escalating conflict with NATO,” President Nauseda stated. According to him, the scale of the exercises will be two to three times smaller than those held in 2021. He also noted that NATO exercises will be conducted in the region at the same time. It had been previously reported that Belarus and Russia have decided to scale down the “Zapad-2025” exercises, relocating the main manoeuvres further inland, away from Belarus’s western borders. In addition, the two countries have agreed to reduce the number of troops participating in the drills by nearly half.

Children from Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine continue to be brought to Belarus under the guise of “rehabilitation.” A recent segment aired on the state-run channel Lida TV featured a group of children from the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DNR). According to the report, 28 children from the DNR are currently staying at the children’s department “Borovichok,” a branch of the Radon sanatorium in the Dyatlovo District. They were brought to Belarus as part of the “Back to Back” campaign organised by the pro-government public association and political party “Belaya Rus”. “We have hosted several groups in the Vitsebsk region — specifically at the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium in the Lepel District. Today, we are receiving a group of children from the Donetsk People’s Republic at the Borovichok sanatorium in the Dyatlovo District of the Hrodna Region. The group from Donbas will stay here for 19 days,” said MP Oleg Romanov, chairman of the regime-controlled “Belaya Rus” association and party. Romanov claimed the campaign was aimed at supporting those “affected by the aggression of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of the Russian Federation,” and referred to Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions as “parts of Russia.” The National Anti-Crisis Management led by Pavel Latushka continues to document cases of the unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories to Belarus, as well as their forced indoctrination. In 2023, the organisation submitted collected evidence to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Siarhei Salazhentsau, a 42-year-old IT specialist from Hrodna, who has been living and working in Poland for the past few years, was arrested and tried after returning to Belarus. He was accused of “financing extremist activities”. It is not known exactly when and under what circumstances he returned to Belarus. In September 2024, Salazhentsau logged into LinkedIn for the last time. It was around this time, apparently, that he was detained. The trial was held in the Hrodna Regional Court. According to the charges, he faced up to five years of restriction of freedom or from three to five years of imprisonment. The exact verdict is unknown. After the trial, Salazhentsau has not been in touch, which may indicate that he was sentenced to imprisonment. His name was added to the “list of extremists”.

On 16 June, Hrodna Regional Court began in absentia consideration of a criminal case against Andrei Zaneuski on charges of high treason. The details of the charges are unknown. Since 2020, at least 107 people have been convicted of “high treason” in Belarus.

On 16 June, the KGB updated the list of “persons involved in terrorist activities”. The names of five people were included in the list. Among them was former policeman Alyaksandr Mazuryn, who was convicted on charges of incitement of hostility. The essence of the charges against him, as well as the verdict, is unknown. There are currently 1,303 people on the list of “terrorists”, 609 of whom are Belarusians.

On 16 June, the Ministry of Information added new resources to the list of “extremist materials”. Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok pages, Telegram channels and chat rooms, and a YouTube channel were included in the list.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has added 27 more people to the “list of citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens, or stateless persons involved in extremist activities”. Ihar Nemirovich from Brest was among them. He was first detained in early May 2022, placed under house arrest, but escaped and left Belarus. In the autumn of 2023, he applied to the Return Commission and returned home without waiting for an answer. His return was not recognised as “an unconditional basis for concluding his repentance”. On 27 September 2023, he was detained again and sentenced on charges of insulting Lukashenka to one year of imprisonment. He was released in August 2024. In October 2024, Nemirovich was detained again. On 8 April 2025, the court found him guilty of promoting extremist activities. He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment in a high-security colony. There are now 5,434 names on the list of persons “involved in extremist activities”.

On 17 June, human rights activists recognised four more people as political prisoners. Currently, there are 1,188 people who have been recognised as political prisoners. Recently, their number has not grown significantly and even occasionally decreased. This has been, however, not because repression in Belarus has decreased, but because, in parallel with new cases of imprisonment, the process of releasing convicts who had fully served their imprisonment term has been underway. Some people were released through pardons. Others were sentenced to restriction of freedom, after which they left the prison walls and were therefore no longer considered prisoners. Additionally, the statistics do not include all those who were imprisoned for political reasons; the real number of Belarusian political prisoners is higher. Human rights defenders are unaware of some of the cases due to the restriction of official information from the judicial system and the unwillingness of relatives of some of the prisoners to share information out of fear of reprisal.

Viktar Babaryka, the former head of Belgazprombank, was one of Lukashenka’s main rivals at the beginning of the 2020  presidential campaign, but he was unable to participate in the election, as on 18 June 2020 he and his son Eduard were arrested, accused of “taking a particularly large bribe” and “legalising funds obtained through criminal means”. Viktar Babaryka was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment, and Eduard Babaryka to eight years of imprisonment. His term was later extended by two more years. As of last week, Viktar and Eduard Babaryka have been imprisoned for five years. Viktar was held incommunicado for almost two years, until photos and videos of him were published in government-controlled media earlier this year. Since then, nothing has been heard from him again. “I have heard from former political prisoners more than once that there is one big fear there — to be forgotten. And I am sure that Belarusians have not forgotten Viktar, Eduard, or hundreds of other political prisoners. We talk about them and continue to fight for each and every one of them,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on the anniversary of the detention of Viktar and Eduard Babaryka.

On 19 June, the Interior Ministry recognised petitions.by and adu.place projects as “extremist formations”. Petitions.by was a popular platform for submitting public collective appeals to government authorities. Its website was blocked in Belarus in 2021, and in January 2025, the domain “petitions.by” was cancelled. Adu.place is a project for Belarusian youth that provides information about the opportunities for studying abroad. The Belarusian authorities regularly use accusations of extremism to combat political opponents and dissent.

The Coordination Council of the opposition voted to adopt a memorandum on the abolition of the death penalty in Belarus. The Coordination Council called this decision an important step within the context of its long-term cooperation with the Council of Europe. The memorandum stated that the death penalty is a violation of the right to life and human dignity, is used in Belarus as a tool of political repression, and does not have a deterrent effect on crime. The document is open for signature by all public organisations and individuals who share the principles of human rights and democracy, according to the Coordination Council’s press release. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, welcomed the adoption of the memorandum. “Abolishing the death penalty is a core value of the Council of Europe. I welcome the Memorandum adopted by the Belarusian Coordination Council — a strong step forward in the fight for human rights, democracy, and dignity,”– he wrote on the X social network.

As a result of the meeting between Lukashenka and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg, on 20 June in Minsk, 14 political prisoners were released, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who spent all five years in solitary confinement, was deprived of visits and had not received letters for years. They were brought to Lithuania the same day. The full list of those released is still unknown, and there are no other well-known oppositionists among them. Aside from Tsikhanouski, the list of the released political prisoners include Ihar Karnei, Natallia Dulina, Akihira Hayeuski-Khanada, Siarhei Sheleg, Halina Krasnyanskaya, and Kiryll Balakhonau. Of the 14 released political prisoners, five were Belarusians, one was Swedish, one was Estonian, two were Japanese citizens, three were Polish, and two were Latvian citizens, namely Juris Ganinsand and Dmitriis Mikhailovs.

Natallia Eismant, press secretary to Lukashenka, commented on the release of political prisoners: “This was a request from the President of the United States of America. […] These are individuals convicted of extremist and terrorist activities. Siarhei Tsikhanouski, among others. The decision to release Tsikhanouski was made by the President solely for humane reasons, with the aim of family reunification”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia commented on the release of political prisoners, including two Latvian citizens: “The Lukashenka regime still holds more than 1,000 political prisoners and uses migrants as an instrument of pressure at the borders with Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. To change this, it is necessary to continue international pressure on Belarus,” the Ministry stated.

The name of only one Polish citizen out of three is publicly known. It is Jerzy Zhivolevsky, who was supposed to be released on 16 August, 2025. An official statement from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the Administration of President Donald Trump, as well as to the President of Poland Andrzej Duda, for his support in the process of the prisoners’ release. “We hope that the visit to Minsk by the US president’s envoys, General Keith Kellogg, John Cole, and Chris Smith, will be the first step towards the release of other Polish prisoners, including Andrzej Poczobut,” the statement read.

Lithuania congratulated Siarhei Tsikhanouski on his release. “The release of Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a candidate for president of Belarus in the 2020 elections, is fantastically good news, but we must not forget about other political prisoners”, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on 21 June. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said that all 14 released political prisoners, including Tsikhanouski, “are safe in Lithuania” and “receive appropriate assistance”. “The role of the United States in the release was crucial,” Budrys emphasised, also calling for the release of the many remaining political prisoners.

Foreign politicians called for the release of other people who are behind bars for political reasons. The relevant comments were written by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs, Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain.

It became known about the death of 38-year-old former political prisoner Aleh Hnedchyk. In 2003-2005, he was detained and punished with administrative arrests for his political activity as a member of the Young Front. In 2006, he served 12 days for participating in a protest tent camp. Hnedchyk was an active participant in the “Square-2010” protest action in December 2010. He was tried and sentenced to three years of imprisonment, which he served in the Shklou colony. While imprisoned in the same colony, Mikalai Statkevich wrote in his letter: “A new wave of pressure is being applied to the Decembrists to force them to write applications for clemency and speak in front of a television camera. Hnedchyk gets the most… — he has already been sent to the punishment cell.” Hnedchyk was released on a pardon in September 2011, without admitting guilt. He did not participate in the events of 2020. The last time he was active on the VKontakte social network on 30 April 2025.

The case against Maksim Urbanovich, the brother of Dzyanis Urbanovich, a soldier of the Volat battalion who is fighting in Ukraine, will be considered by the Zavodski District Court in Minsk. The trial will begin on 27 June. Maksim is accused of organising and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participating in them. There are several other charges in the case, but they are not yet known. Relatives have no specific information, and Maksim’s brother Dzyanis Urbanovich has not spoken to him for more than two years. On 2 April, security forces broke into the apartment rented by Maksim Urbanovich. After the search, he was taken to the KGB for interrogation. Initially, he was held in the KGB pre-trial detention centre, and then transferred to SIZO No. 1 in Kalyadzichi. Maksim does not have a lawyer, so he will defend himself in court. On 17 June, human rights activists recognised him as a political prisoner. Persecution of relatives of critics of the regime who live abroad is an instrument of transnational repression actively used by the Lukashenka regime.

In the centre of Warsaw, near the Copernicus Monument, an art installation titled “Indestructible” dedicated to the political prisoners of “Viasna” Human Rights Centre — Marfa Rabkova, Valyantsin Stefanovich, Ales Bialiatski, and Uladzimir Labkovich, was installed. Andrei Chapiuk is not among the portraits of “Viasna” activists — he was released on 18 April after fully serving his prison term. The installation consists of metal portraits of four political prisoners. The portraits are made of rusty gratings, which is associated with prison bars. The art installation in Poland was organised thanks to the collaboration between “Viasna” and Amnesty International Poland as part of the solidarity campaign with political prisoners. Warsaw became the eighth city where the project was presented. It had been previously displayed in Brussels, Copenhagen, Berlin, Poznan, Vilnius, Riga, and Prague.

On 17 June, the BelPol initiative and the People’s Embassy of Belarus in Austria met with several Austrian parliamentarians in Vienna. Topics such as the need to increase sanctions pressure on the Lukashenka regime; the role of national parliaments and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in protecting Belarusians suffering from transnational repression; mechanisms for supporting political prisoners and preventing new cases of persecution; and the importance of direct and political engagement with the democratic forces of Belarus were discussed during the meeting. The results of the BelPol investigation into the crimes of the Belarusian regime and its complicity in the Russian war against Ukraine were presented.

The campaign “Week against Torture”, dedicated to the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June),will be held from 23 to 29 June by the Legal Initiative and the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus. Events are planned in Warsaw and Vilnius, offline and online. “Torture in Belarus remains a systemic crime, despite international prohibitions, the attention of human rights defenders, and thousands of documented cases. We are convinced that it is necessary to continue talking about this to achieve justice and prevent impunity to take root,” the human rights activists stated.

During the reporting period, Belarusian propagandists continued to closely monitor developments in the Middle East. Ryhor Azaronak, who openly expresses admiration for the Iranian authorities, interviewed the Iranian Ambassador to Belarus, Sanei Alireza. In introducing the interview, he lamented that some “Western ambassadors, both male and female”, “hide from the cameras, run away, and in some cases the particularly frenzied even start biting”, while representatives from Iran, North Korea, Russia and China “are always open to dialogue and eager to speak — often extending invitations themselves”. Azaronak continued: “In the 43 years since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has not started a single war. Nor has the DPRK in 70 years. Nor has China. And, of course, Belarus has not either. It is Russia that has been backed into a corner — forced to defend itself. So, who is it that starts or directly participates in every global war? Ah yes, our so-called developed democracies — the U.S. and Britain.” On his programme “Azaronak. Direct Line”, pro-regime political analyst Andrei Lazutkin conceded that Belarus could not do much in practical terms but expressed hope that “China will try to stabilise the situation” and that Russia will offer diplomatic backing to Iran. “As soon as the issue was eliminated and Assad’s regime collapsed, Israel found its hands untied for a broader offensive… I gather it is the Yugoslavia playbook. For NATO strategists, Yugoslavia is seen as the pinnacle of success — not even ‘Desert Storm’ but forcing Milosevic to sign peace deals. Likely the same will happen here: an ultimatum will be presented in the guise of negotiations to allow Iran to save face.”

Pro-government commentator Aliaksandr Shpakouski, speaking on “Alpha Radio”, framed conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine as the consequence of the “collective West’s strategy — led by the U.S. — to ensure global dominance by establishing Washington-controlled governance structures at key geopolitical points.” He claimed the U.S. “played the lead role in fuelling war and sponsoring the Kyiv regime” and now pretends to be above the fray, even positioning itself as a peace broker. “The U.S. has clearly shifted its focus to the Middle East,” he said. “There is also the Asia-Pacific, which Washington finds very attractive — but it cannot intervene there quite so brazenly because China is rapidly strengthening both economically and militarily.” As expected, he praised Lukashenka, claiming that 15 years ago the dictator had allegedly warned the Americans not to meddle in the Middle East. Now, Shpakouski urges the White House not to “put its heel on Iran’s neck”, arguing that “tens of millions” who support Iran’s current system will not react calmly to “the overthrow of constitutional order”. His colleague Aliaksei Dzermant warned that if the US were to launch an attack on Iran, the consequences would “be felt by everyone”. He predicted that “Iran can be saved if Russia and China intervene and commit to providing assistance in the event of a U.S. strike”. Dzermant further argued that Israel had “lost the propaganda war” in Belarus, as nearly all “public opinion leaders” have sided with Iran. According to him, “Israel has squandered the moral authority of the Jewish people and itself become a dragon — a machine of genocide.”

On 16 June, state TV presenter Ihar Tur, host of “Propaganda”, posed a rhetorical question: “Why is Lukashenka’s dictatorship in Belarus a good thing?” He answered himself: “Firstly, the form of government here is a rational authoritarian system — and dictatorship is merely a form of implementing that system. And secondly, to anyone who dislikes Lukashenka’s dictatorship: believe me, you either misunderstand it or fail to understand it at all.”

The next day, Lukashenka announced a new staffing experiment — appointing not only agricultural specialists but also former senior security officials as regional governors, arguing that they can help “improve discipline”. He stressed that this discipline “must be military”, or else “we will end up in the trenches”. He added that global demand for food will only grow, and Belarus must produce and sell more. He demanded top-tier conditions for dairy cows, as “they feed the nation”: “It is not just milk — it is meat too. If we want to be healthy, we need clean air and proper food. So, figuratively speaking, the cow should live in a palace.” This remark triggered a wave of online mockery from Belarusians, many of whom noted that the President appeared more concerned about cows than his fellow citizens. Azaronak swiftly leapt to Lukashenka’s defence, enthusiastically recalling the idea of erecting a monument to the cow in Belarus. In an article for the state newspaper Minskaya Pravda, he dubbed Lukashenka a “Peasant Leader” and a “just ruler”. Azaronak pointed out that there is a statue of the Golden Calf in New York — “right on the Wall Street, in Manhattan, at the heart of the deep state, the lair of the Yellow Devil” — and reminded readers that in ancient times, such bulls were heated until red-hot and live infants were thrown into their mouths. According to Azaronak, “this still happens today”, with children from Gaza, Iran, Ukraine, and Russia “fed into the maw of the burning bull”. Only “the cow” can symbolically stand against such a monster.

On 20 June, Lukashenka met with Russian Investigative Committee head Aleksandr Bastrykin and reaffirmed Belarus’s unwavering support for Russia. “You can count on us,” he said. “Naturally, we act carefully, cautiously. We do not draw our sabres like Cossacks. But if we do, we fight alongside the Russian people, defending our shared Fatherland. We have got only one — it will not be replaced.” He expressed sympathy for Bastrykin, who, he noted, “has a heavy workload in the liberated territories” — a reference to the occupied parts of Ukraine.

Following a 18 June Reuters report suggesting that U.S. Presidential Envoy Keith Kellogg might visit Belarus and meet with Lukashenka, the regime hastened to cast the Belarusian dictator as central to any peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. MP Vadzim Hihin warned that “speculation about Belarus potentially shifting its position towards Russia is either deliberate disinformation or the product of Western wishful thinking and poor analysis.” In his view, “the Union State is stronger than ever.” Kellogg did travel to Minsk, and according to Lukashenka’s press secretary, the talks on 20 June lasted 6.5 hours. Shortly thereafter, 14 political prisoners were released, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski. This prompted a surge of regime commentary, aiming to 1) frame the meeting as a major diplomatic breakthrough, and 2) justify the release of those who state propaganda had long branded as “extremists” and “terrorists”. KGB chief Ivan Tsertsel claimed Belarus and the U.S. “maintain contact on many issues”, and that Washington “recognises the role and political weight” of Lukashenka. Belarus’s UN representative, Valiantsin Rybakou, said the U.S. and Belarus are discussing full normalisation of relations, but noted that Lukashenka always stresses that Belarus, as Russia and China’s closest strategic ally, “will never act against their interests” — something the U.S. side “understands and acknowledges”. Commenting on the release of political prisoners, Shpakouski urged his audience to “remain calm”, pointing out that Belarus has “a set of entirely pragmatic objectives to achieve through negotiations with the U.S.”. Regarding Ukraine, he insisted Belarus “will not cede even an inch of sovereignty” or neglect its international obligations to allies. “As for fears about the released extremists causing harm — if our society is truly united and patriotic, the media set the agenda, and law enforcement reliably safeguards national security — we will not even notice the mosquito bites of yet another batch of angry political emigres,” he reassured. The “First Informational” Telegram channel claimed that Lukashenka “outwitted and defeated” his foreign opponents by releasing Tsikhanouski, describing it as a masterstroke that collapsed a whole industry of foreign funding. They teased that Lukashenka still “has more aces up his sleeve” and that “the stakes have just been raised”. Propagandist Ihar Tur echoed this view, suggesting that Tsikhanouski’s relocation to Lithuania was a calculated move to further divide and destroy the democratic opposition.

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