Belarus, a country that forms a buffer between Russia and Europe, has been in the international spotlight this week after a Belarusian Olympic athlete sparked a diplomatic incident when she refused to return to her homeland after the Games saying her life was in danger. Meanwhile, a murder investigation was launched after an activist who ran a group in Ukraine helping Belarusians fleeing persecution was found dead in Kyiv. The events shine a light on a situation that has been brewing for months, if not years, as ‘Europe’s last dictator’ tightens his grip on a country on the brink.