The article reports on several developments related to Belarus and its relations with neighboring countries:
1. **Japanese citizen sentenced to 7 years**: A Japanese citizen, Masatoshi Nakanishi, was sentenced to 7 years in prison by a Belarusian court for alleged “undercover activities.” The charges included taking photos of civilian and military infrastructure, as well as traveling to the Ukrainian border.
2. **Foreign nationals used as bargaining chips**: Belarus has been using foreign nationals as leverage in its relations with other countries. For example, a German citizen was released after being sentenced to capital punishment on similar charges, as part of a prisoner swap that helped Russia return a Russian killer from prison in Germany.
3. **Poland and Baltic states withdraw from anti-personnel mine treaty**: The defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have recommended withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention banning the use of anti-personnel mines. They cited Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and ongoing threats to the Euro-Atlantic community as reasons for their decision.
4. **Belarus holds 1,200 political prisoners**: According to human rights groups, Belarus still holds around 1,200 political prisoners, including at least 36 foreigners, under various politically motivated charges.
5. **Estonian and Latvian citizens prosecuted**: An Estonian citizen was prosecuted for slandering the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko and founding an extremist formation, while a Latvian citizen was charged with discrediting Belarus, calling for sanctions, and insulting Lukashenko.