Phone of exiled Belarusian politician traced to Belarus after her mysterious disappearance 

A mobile phone belonging to a missing Belarusian opposition politician has been traced to Belarus, the head of the country’s unrecognised government in exile, Pavel Latushka, said on Monday, causing further concern about her wellbeing and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Anzhalika Melnikava was last heard from on Friday, and while she was initially believed to have been in Poland, where she lives and works, her current whereabouts are unknown. Latushka said she could have been targeted by Belarusian or Russian intelligence agencies.

Melnikava is the speaker of the Coordination Council, the main body of the Belarusian opposition in exile, which was established by erstwhile presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in 2020 after she lost out to Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko in a stolen election.

“We hope for the best, but we understand that leading figures of Belarus’s democratic forces are primary targets for the intelligence services of the Belarusian and Russian regimes,” said Latushka, who confirmed that the Polish authorities had been formally notified of Melnikava’s disappearance.

According to her colleagues, Melnikava had not been seen in person for weeks before her disappearance, having taken sick leave due to post-Covid complications, though she had remained in contact. Independent Belarusian news outlet Nasha Niva reported that Melnikava flew from Poland to London on 10 March. 

Whether Melnikava was indeed ill or if she only claimed to be unwell while she prepared to leave Poland remains unclear. According to Latushka, her ex-husband Andrey Melnikau, also returned to Belarus in March.

Employees of Białoruś Liberty, a foundation set up by Melnikava in 2022, reported losing access to the organisation’s bank accounts following her disappearance. The foundation is known for its ties to the Cyber Partisans, a Belarusian hacktivist group responsible for cyberattacks against the Lukashenko regime.

Melnikava’s disappearance comes amid an ongoing campaign of domestic repression by the Minsk regime, which has systematically targeted opposition figures since the 2020 anti-government protests, and has accused the Coordination Council of plotting to overthrow Lukashenko.