Belarus

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Vladimir Putin during his annual press conference on 14 December 2023. Photo: Sergei Bobylev/TASS.

2019 Gavrilov’s Night Protest

Putin expands visa-free regime for Georgian citizens

by OC Media

•2 min read

Russia will allow Georgian citizens to stay in the country without a visa for more than 90 days, including for the purposes of working and studying. President Putin signed the decree to expand the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens on Thursday, which went into effect immediately. According to the document, the visa-free entry regime to Russia now applies to citizens of Georgia arriving ‘to the Russian Federation for the purpose of carrying out work activities or for a period of more t

Arsen Kharatyan. Image via Heinrich Böll Stiftung.

Armenia

Founder of Georgian–Armenian media outlet barred from entering Georgia

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

Georgian authorities have barred Aliq Media founder Arsen Kharatyan from entering the country, reportedly detaining him for hours at Tbilisi International Airport before deporting him. Aliq Media reported that their founder was detained at Tbilisi Airport on Tuesday morning, and that he was denied access to his phone. Kharatyan later stated that he had arrived in Tbilisi from an undisclosed European country, reportedly Luxembourg, on Monday. He said that he was detained by the border guards

Armenia

Protestors throw vegetables and eggs at Belarusian Embassy in Armenia

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

A group of protesters threw vegetables and eggs at the Belarusian Embassy in Armenia on Wednesday, calling on them to ‘get out of Armenia,’ in response to a statement by Belarusian president Aliaksandr Lukashenka that no one needed Armenians ‘besides us.’ During the protest, a statement signed by six political parties and civil society organisations was read out, urging the Armenian government to ‘immediately’ sever diplomatic relations with Belarus ‘until the dismissal of dictator Lukashe

Nikol Pashinyan and Alyaksandr Lukashenka in 2018. Image via primeminister.am

Armenia–Azerbaijan Conflict

Armenia and Belarus recall ambassadors in diplomatic row

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

Armenia and Belarus have recalled their ambassadors after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he would not visit Belarus while President Alyaksandr Lukashenka was in power, due to his support for Azerbaijan in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. Yerevan and Minsk recalled their ambassadors for consultations on Thursday, with Armenia pulling its ambassador from Belarus hours after Pashinyan said that neither he nor any other Armenian representative would visit Belarus as long as Lukashenka remaine

Armenia

Two Belarusians detained in Armenia

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

Human rights activists have reported that two more Belarusians, at least one of whom fled the country to evade the draft, have been detained in Armenia and face possible extradition to Belarus. On Monday, the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, a local rights organisation, announced that Maksim Vaitkiavichus, born in 2000, had been detained on 7 February upon entering Armenia from Georgia. According to Vaitkiavichus’ lawyer, Ani Chatinyan, another Belarusian was detained by Armenian author

Armenia

Belarusian deserter detained in Armenia

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

A Belarusian man who fled his country to avoid conscription faces extradition after being detained in Armenia at Minsk’s request. Yaroslav Novikov, 24, was arrested after crossing into Armenia on 2 February. He was detained at the request of Minsk, which accused him of evading military service. RFE/RL reported that Belarus had placed Novikov on a Commonwealth of Independent States wanted list. His lawyer, Arayik Papikyan from the Helsinki Association for Human Rights in Armenia, has state

Niklol Pashinyan at the 2022 CSTO summit. Official photo.

Armenia

Lukashenka urges Armenia to ‘seriously consider’ not leaving the CSTO

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has urged Armenia to ‘seriously consider’ its options before taking steps which may see Armenia leave the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). On Tuesday, Armenia’s Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, announced that he would not be taking part in the CSTO summit scheduled to be held in Minsk on 23 November. This came in a telephone call with Belarus’s President Lukashenka, in which Pashinyan reportedly expressed his hope that the CSTO ‘would