Opposition leader urges European diplomats to help Belarus’ media

February 3, Pozirk. Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja met with diplomats from nine countries on in Vilnius on January 31 to discuss financial assistance to the Belarusian independent media amid the US freeze on foreign aid, her aide Franak Viačorka told Pozirk.
The freeze affected the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which, among other things, implements programs to support exiled journalists.
Diplomats from Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden as well as Anna Kozłowska-Słupek, first counsellor of the Polish embassy in Lithuania, attended the meeting.
Alaksandar Łukašenka and his officials are not ending politically-motivating persecution of Belarusians despite the expectations of some pundits, Cichanoŭskaja noted.
The politician also thanked the Nordic-Baltic Eight for strong-worded resolutions regarding Belarus’ recent presidential election that took place amid reprisals and extended Łukašenka’s rule.
Many independent media outlets have been branded extremist groups for political reasons in Belarus after the disputed 2020 presidential election and have relocated abroad. Belarusian authorities routinely use terrorism and extremism designations to silence critical voices.
Exiled journalists have been reporting financial problems over the past year, among them KYKY, Reform, Belsat, Plan B, EX-PRESS and the Belarusian service of the Polish Radio Wnet, which eventually ceased operations.
Cichanoŭskaja discusses support for Belarusians with Polish chargé d'affaires
- Security, SocietyLatvia reopens border with BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyNew car sales surge amid cheap loansThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- PoliticsAt least 2,053 NGOs dissolved in Belarus since August 2020 – LawtrendThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, SecurityNew tech academy could build ultimate anti-drone weapon, Łukašenka saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsLatvia expands ban on imports from BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security, Society
- Politics
- EconomyLoss of EU customers shifts Belarusian berry sales to Russia — officialThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyMan posing as police officer arrested in MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics, Security
- Economy
- SocietyVilnius asks Minsk to extradite Lithuanian convicted of financial crimesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsUpdate on digital censorship, pressure on dissidentsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityUkraine sanctions two Belarusian companies over Russia military tiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsBelarus sends two trainloads of wood to Central Asia via route used to bypass EU sanctionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityLukašenka dismisses deputy commander of Interior TroopsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityLatvian ministry suggests closing border with Belarus over irregular migrationThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityUkraine to keep eye on new Belarusian air assault brigade, Kyiv saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, Society1990s serial killer case referred to prosecutorThe material is available only to POZIRK+



