21 February – President Alexander Lukashenko calls for armed security patrols on streets and in workplaces, claiming the possibility of "extremist" crimes.[1]
6 June – German national Rico 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 the Białowieża Forest in order to prevent migrants from crossing the border from Belarus.[8]
July
4 July –
Belarus frees ten political prisoners including former opposition leader Ryhor Kastusioŭ.[9]
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]
The Minsk Regional Court, in a secretive trial, sentences Rico Krieger to death over alleged crimes including terrorism and mercenary activity.[15] He is pardoned on 30 July by President Lukashenko.[16]
5 August – The European 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 the Belarusian Army has been deployed along the Belarus–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 of Gomel 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-right Alternative for Germany party in Saxony, 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 use nuclear weapons if attacked by the West.[26]
October
4 October – A court convicts 12 people, seven of them in absentia, over their role in the Machulishchy air base attack in 2023 and sentences them to up to 25 years' imprisonment.[27]
23 October – A court in Gomel convicts two Ukrainian nationals of plotting terrorist attacks and sentences them to 20 years' imprisonment.[28]
November
7 November – President Lukashenko issues pardons for 31 political prisoners.[29]
20 November – President Lukashenko issues pardons for 32 prisoners convicted for "extremist crimes".[30]
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 defunct Belarusian 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 first Catholic priest to be convicted on politically-related treason charges in Belarus since independence in 1991 and is sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment.[35]
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