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6d ago

Lukashenko Declares He Won’t Seek Eighth Term, Denies Grooming Son

Sustained Western criticism of Belarus’s human rights record has intensified following limited amnesties since mid-2024.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is seen prior to a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the Independence Palace in Minsk on June 27, 2025.
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Image of the map of the world, with half of the maple leaf, and the Canada logo, with the following text overlayed - Joint statement: Belarus.
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Overview

  • Lukashenko told Time magazine he does not plan to run again when his current term ends in 2030 and he rejected rumors that his 20-year-old son Nikolai is being positioned as his successor.
  • He urged that his eventual successor maintain stability and avoid abrupt changes to Belarus’s political system to prevent any revolutionary breakdown.
  • The regime has freed several hundred people convicted of extremism and other political offenses since mid-2024 but human rights groups say nearly 1,200 individuals remain detained.
  • Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom released a joint statement on August 9 condemning Belarus’s ongoing repression and demanding the immediate, unconditional release of over 1,100 political prisoners.
  • Belarus continues to host Russian military exercises on its territory and support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, deepening Minsk’s isolation from Western nations.