Belarus Readies for 'Sham' Election as Lukashenko Eyes 7th Term

Critics decry the repressive environment under Lukashenko's 31-year rule, with opposition leaders in exile and dissent heavily suppressed.

Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, is set to extend his rule in a presidential election widely regarded as neither free nor fair.
The 2020 election protests, which brought mass unrest and brutal crackdowns, left over 1,250 political prisoners in Belarusian jails and forced many opposition figures into exile.
Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, speaking from exile, has urged Belarusians to avoid protests due to the high risk of repression.
Lukashenko has recently pardoned some political prisoners and allowed limited access to prominent opposition figures, seen as an attempt to ease Western sanctions.
Belarus remains closely tied to Russia, hosting Russian nuclear weapons and supporting Moscow's war in Ukraine, while Lukashenko seeks to balance relations with the West.