Revolution in Belarus - Special Series

Katsiaryna Shmatsina is one of many Belarussians who’ve been forced to leave the country for their own safety

This is the third episode in our special coverage of the revolution in Belarus.

After their last election was rigged to keep a dictator in power, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demand he step down. Top activists have been prosecuted, causing well known politicians and journalists to flee the country in fear for their safety.

Host Terrell J. Starr talked to Katsiaryna Shmatsina, a Belarusian political analyst focused on Belarusian foreign policy, regional security, and the impact of great power relations on smaller actors.

Shmatsina is one of the people who left Belarus after seeing the authoritarian government crack down. She continues her work through contact with an underground network still fighting the good fight in country.

Katsiaryna’s portfolio includes non-residential fellowship at the German Marshall Fund (2020) and Think Visegrad Fellowship (2019). Previously, she worked for the American Bar Association where she managed the democratic-governance and rule-of-law projects. She holds a Master’s in international relations from Syracuse University, New York and a law degree from Belarusian State University.

Follow Shmatsina on Twitter to keep up with her work. 

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