Belarus: Understanding Its Recent News Significance

Belarus has been in the news recently for several reasons. Firstly, there is ongoing coverage of the country's political situation, including the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 30 years and intends to seek another term in the upcoming 2025 election. There have been calls from the EU, US, and Nobel laureates for the release of Belarus' political prisoners, and concerns raised about human rights abuses and the treatment of dissenters. Additionally, Belarus has been in the news due to its relationship with Russia, including joint military drills and strengthening alliances. The country's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has also been a topic of interest, with Belarus deploying troops and aircraft to its border with Ukraine.

Belarus' Lukashenko pardons German prisoner sentenced to death for terrorism

Belarus has been in the news recently due to its authoritarian leader, President Alexander Lukashenko, who granted a pardon to a German citizen, Rico Krieger, who had been sentenced to death on terrorism charges. Belarus is the only country in Europe that still carries out capital punishment.

Krieger, who has been in custody since his arrest in October 2023, was accused of photographing military facilities in Belarus and staging an explosion at a railway station, allegedly under the direction of Ukrainian special services. He was convicted and sentenced to capital punishment in June, and appealed to Lukashenko for a pardon, expressing hope that the president would forgive him.

While it is typical for a pardon in Belarus to replace a death sentence with life imprisonment, it was initially unclear whether Krieger would be released or face life in prison. The German Foreign Ministry confirmed the pardon and expressed relief but did not provide further details.

Lukashenko's decision came amid relentless political repression in Belarus, with over 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten in police custody following protests triggered by Lukashenko's controversial re-election in August 2020. Human rights activists raised concerns about Krieger's case, suggesting he may have been a victim of provocation by the Belarusian security agency, the KGB.

Speculation arose that Krieger's sentencing could be linked to a potential prisoner swap involving Vadim Krasikov, a Russian serving a life sentence in Germany for a 2019 murder. Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at the possibility of an exchange when asked about releasing a Wall Street Journal reporter recently imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges.

Lukashenko's pardon of Krieger drew attention to the ongoing crackdown on dissent in Belarus, with international human rights groups calling for the release of political prisoners and an end to executions in the country.

Russia-Belarus nuclear weapon drills

Russia and Belarus have commenced the second stage of drills intended to train their troops in the use of tactical nuclear weapons. The drills are a response to the West's increasing support for Ukraine, including the billions of dollars' worth of weapons provided by the United States and its European allies. The drills are also a reaction to NATO allies beefing up their military capabilities near Russia's borders.

The first stage of the drills focused on preparing for nuclear missions and deploying Iskander missiles, while the air force trained with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. The second stage involves joint training of Russian and Belarusian units in the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. The drills are designed to maintain the readiness of personnel and equipment to ensure the "sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the Russia-Belarus alliance.

The drills were ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has noted that Russia's battlefield nuclear weapons are much more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. While Putin has stated that Russia has no intention of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, he has also indicated that the country's nuclear doctrine could be modified if the situation changes. The doctrine currently states that nuclear weapons could be used in response to a nuclear strike or an attack with conventional forces that threaten Russia's existence.

The drills have included the use of Iskander missile launching systems, MiG-31 fighter jets, and Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic bombers. The location of the drills has been disclosed as southern Russia.

Belarus' Lukashenko to face pre-approved challengers in election

Belarus has been in the news due to its upcoming presidential election, which has been labelled as a "farce" by the opposition. The country's election commission has allowed only seven politicians loyal to current leader Alexander Lukashenko to start collecting signatures to oppose him in the upcoming elections.

Lukashenko, who has led the country for over 30 years, is set to seek a seventh term in the January 2025 election. The authoritarian ruler faced criticism after he was elected in 2020 in a vote that was rejected by the country's opposition and the West as rigged with fraud. The election results triggered nationwide protests and resulted in the arrest of around 65,000 people, many of whom were opposition figures.

The candidates approved to run against Lukashenko include Sergei Syrankov of the Communist Party, Oleg Gaidukevich, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, and former Interior Ministry spokeswoman Olga Chеmоdanova. They are each required to collect at least 100,000 signatures by 6 December to qualify as a candidate in the election.

Lukashenko has described his challengers as "alternative candidates", saying, "I believe they just want to safeguard the incumbent." However, the opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is currently living in exile, has denounced the upcoming elections as a "farce". She has urged Belarusians to vote against all candidates, stating:

> "We are offering people to voice their protest by voting against all those who are robbing us of our right to vote. This is not an election but an imitation of an electoral process held amid terror when alternative candidates and observers aren't allowed."

The upcoming election follows a pattern of authoritarian rule in Belarus, with Lukashenko consolidating his power since first being elected in 1994. International monitors have labelled all but the first of his election victories as neither free nor fair. Human rights groups claim that Belarus currently holds around 1,300 political prisoners, who are denied adequate healthcare and contact with their families.

Belarus' Lukashenko marks 30 years in power

Belarus has been in the news due to its leader, Alexander Lukashenko, marking 30 years in power. Lukashenko is one of the world's longest-serving and most ruthless leaders, having been in control of Belarus since he was first elected in July 1994, just 2 and a half years after the country gained independence from the USSR.

Lukashenko's longevity is due to a mixture of silencing all dissent, adopting Soviet-style economic controls and methods, and allying with Russia, despite occasionally flirting with the West. He has been dubbed "Europe's last dictator", and his rule has been marked by violent crackdowns on protests, the suppression of independent media, and the closure of non-governmental organisations.

Lukashenko's rule has been characterised by his harsh treatment of dissenters and his close ties to Russia. In 1999 and 2000, four prominent critics of Lukashenko disappeared, and an investigation by the Council of Europe concluded that they had been killed by death squads linked to senior Belarusian officials. Despite demands from European countries to track down and prosecute the culprits, Belarusian authorities stonewalled the investigation. Lukashenko has also initiated constitutional changes that put parliament under his control, removed term limits, and expanded his powers.

In terms of foreign policy, Lukashenko has relied heavily on Russian support throughout his 30-year rule. He quickly bolstered ties with Russia after his first election, pushing for the formation of a new union state, which some speculated was motivated by his ambition to become its head. Despite occasionally clashing with the Kremlin and manoeuvring for more subsidies, Lukashenko ultimately allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to invade Ukraine in 2022 and agreed to host some of Russia's tactical nuclear weapons.

Lukashenko's most recent election in 2020, which secured him a sixth term in office, was widely seen as rigged, sparking the largest protests ever seen in Belarus. The subsequent crackdown on these protests resulted in tens of thousands of arrests, with many political opponents fleeing the country. Despite Western sanctions and isolation, Lukashenko has shrugged off this criticism and announced his intention to run for a seventh five-year term in 2025.

Belarus' Lukashenko refuses to invite OSCE observers to monitor elections

Belarus has been in the news due to its refusal to invite OSCE observers to monitor the upcoming parliamentary and local elections, scheduled for February 25, 2024. This decision has been widely seen as a move by the country's authoritarian President, Alexander Lukashenko, to solidify his control over political institutions.

On January 8, 2024, Belarusian authorities announced they would not invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the elections. Belarus is a member of the OSCE, and members of its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) have been the sole international observers at Belarusian elections for decades. The ODIHR has consistently found that Belarusian elections are neither transparent nor fair.

The upcoming vote will be the first election since the contentious 2020 presidential election, which resulted in Lukashenko securing his sixth term in office and sparked mass protests across the country. Lukashenko's government responded to these demonstrations with a harsh crackdown, arresting over 35,000 people, many of whom were brutally beaten and forced to leave the country.

The refusal to allow OSCE monitoring is particularly concerning given the current political climate in Belarus. The election will take place amid ongoing repressions, with around 1,500 political prisoners still behind bars, including leaders of opposition parties and human rights advocates. Additionally, Belarusian authorities have conducted a "re-registration" of political parties, granting credentials to only four pro-government parties out of 15, effectively preventing opposition politicians from appearing on the ballot.

Ihar Karpenka, the head of Belarus' Central Election Commission, asserted that the election will occur "under full control of the authorities and without destructive influences." Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, currently in exile in Lithuania, has urged Belarusians to boycott the vote, labeling it "a farce without international monitoring."

Lukashenko's refusal to invite OSCE observers fits into a broader pattern of authoritarian behavior, including the recent pardoning of 30 out of around 1,400 political prisoners, and the reshuffling of top officials in what observers interpret as maneuvering ahead of the 2025 presidential election.

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