‘Europe’s last dictator’ crushes opposition with dozens arrested before elections…
A tyrant once dubbed Europe’s last dictator has initiated a rigorous campaign to squash dissent ahead of elections in January.
More 100 people were detained in various cities across Belarus where Alexander Lukashenko is campaigning for reelection, according to reports from the Viasna human rights center on Wednesday, since last Thursday
The crackdown has been aimed at individuals active in apartment building online chat groups, which residents used to arrange practical matters like maintenance and communal services, now accused by the government of being part of an “extremist” network.
These chat groups had previously played a critical role in organizing protests during the massive outpouring of opposition, following the contentious 2020 presidential election that the opposition and Western observers condemned as fraudulent.
In response, Belarusian officials launched a harsh suppression of the demonstrations, arresting approximately 65,000 participants.
“The new massive wave of arrests and searches is a planned action of intimidation ahead of the election,” stated Pavel Sapelka, a representative from Viasna.
Earlier this week, Belarus’ Central Election Commission permitted seven politicians loyal to Lukashenko to begin collecting signatures for the upcoming vote on January 26, seemingly in an attempt to present a facade of competition. However, it has denied two opposition politicians the same opportunity.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition leader of Belarus who is currently in exile after challenging Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election, has called on the West to react to the recent arrests.
“The scale of the latest wave of repression reflects the atmosphere of terror for the sham presidential vote,” Tsikhanouskaya said, encouraging Belarusians to vote against all candidates.
Some of those detained are facing accusations of a “conspiracy to seize power,” charges that could result in up to 15 years in prison.
Belarusian prisons are currently overflowing, with cells designed for three inmates housing between 15 and 20.
