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Belarus threatens ham radio operators with death penalty for “espionage”

Ellsworth Toohey
Jan 20, 2026
∙ Paid

Ham radio equipment (phadventure/shutterstock.com)

Seven amateur radio operators in Belarus have been charged with treason and espionage — crimes that carry life imprisonment or death — for the heinous act of owning ham radio equipment. The state is presenting QSL confirmation cards (postcards exchanged between operators worldwide as proof of contact) as…

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