21 February – PresidentAlexander Lukashenko calls for armed security patrols on streets and in workplaces, claiming the possibility of "extremist" crimes.[1]
6 June – German nationalRico Krieger goes on trial in Belarus on charges of mercenarism, terrorism, creating an extremist group, intentionally damaging a vehicle, and illegal operations with firearms, ammunition, and explosives.[7]
10 June – Poland announces a "no-go zone" in theBiałowieża Forest in order to prevent migrants from crossingthe border from Belarus.[8]
14 July – Six people are killed in a storm that hits the south of the country.[11]
15 July – Latvia issues a ban on Belarus-registered passenger vehicles entering its territory from Belarus or Russia.[12]
17 July – Lithuania issues a ban on Belarus-registered passenger vehicles entering its territory.[13]
19 July –
Belarus introduces visa-free entry to citizens of 35 European countries including the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland.[14]
TheMinsk Regional Court, in a secretive trial, sentencesRico Krieger to death over alleged crimes including terrorism andmercenary activity.[15] He is pardoned on 30 July by President Lukashenko.[16]
5 August – TheEuropean Union imposes sanctions on 28 Belarusian officials including those in the interior ministry and the judiciary for the role in human rights violations and persecution of opponents of President Lukashenko.[18]
18 August – President Lukashenko reports that nearly one third of theBelarusian Army has been deployed along theBelarus–Ukraine border, in response to Ukraine stationing more than 120,000 troops at the border. However, Ukraine claims no movement of Belarusian troops has been observed.[19]
Belarus announces the arrest in July of a Japanese resident ofGomel on suspicion of spying on vital installations along the border with Ukraine on behalf of Japanese intelligence services.[23]
24 September –Jörg Dornau, a lawmaker for the far-rightAlternative for Germany party inSaxony, is revealed to be using Belarusian political prisoners as labour by independent Belarusian news outlet Reform.news.[25]
27 September – President Lukashenko warns that Belarus will usenuclear weapons if attacked by the West.[26]
4 October – A court convicts 12 people, seven of them in absentia, over their role in theMachulishchy air base attack in 2023 and sentences them to up to 25 years' imprisonment.[27]
23 October – A court inGomel convicts two Ukrainian nationals of plotting terrorist attacks and sentences them to 20 years' imprisonment.[28]
10 December – Journalist Volha Radzivonava is convicted by the Minsk City Court of “insulting the president” and “discrediting Belarus” and sentences her to four years' imprisonment.[32]
24 December – Dzmitry Kuchuk, the leader of the defunctBelarusian Green Party, is convicted of gross violations of public order and incitement to undermine national security and sentenced to six years' imprisonment.[33]
28 December – President Lukashenko issues pardons for 20 prisoners convicted for "extremist crimes".[34]
30 December – Henrykh Akalatovich becomes the firstCatholic priest to be convicted on politically-related treason charges in Belarus since independence in 1991 and is sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment.[35]
_Dec_2024.jpg){kind=icon}
