Belarus

Map of Belarus

What is Happening in Belarus?

Belarus enters the Peoples under Threat table for the first time following the presidential election on 9 August 2020, which was widely condemned as rigged by the Belarusian opposition, many governments and international human rights organizations. Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, claimed victory and a sixth presidential term. When months-long protests brought hundreds of thousands of Belarusians into the streets, Lukashenko’s government cracked down harshly, causing several deaths while violently dispersing demonstrators, arresting around 35,000 people and subjecting many to torture, according to the human rights group Viasna. Activists, journalists and media members have since faced politically motivated charges and closed-door trials for acts of ‘terrorism’ and ‘extremism’, and leading opposition figures have fled the country. In response to European Union (EU) sanctions, since summer 2021, Lukashenko has facilitated migration from global south countries towards neighbouring Poland, subjecting desperate people to rights abuses on both sides of the border. Further mass unrest and state violence could arise with a constitutional referendum planned for February 2022 and a potential upcoming economic recession.

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