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Belarus to witness presidential election this week, Lukashenko likely to grab seventh term

Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, moved the election from August to January, reducing the likelihood of mass protests in freezing weather.

This year, Lukashenko faces only token challengers. (AP photo)

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Belarus is holding a presidential election this week which is expected to secure a seventh term for Alexander Lukashenko, often called “Europe’s last dictator,” reported AP. Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, moved the election from August to January, reducing the likelihood of mass protests in the freezing weather.

The 2020 election, where Lukashenko claimed 80 per cent of the vote, sparked widespread allegations of fraud, massive protests, and a brutal crackdown that left thousands arrested and many political opponents jailed or exiled.

This year, Lukashenko faces only token challengers, with opposition figures barred from the ballot.

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Belarus, a former Soviet republic closely allied with Russia, has supported Moscow’s actions, including hosting Russian tactical nuclear weapons and allowing its territory to be used during the invasion of Ukraine. A treaty signed in 2024 extended Belarus’s security ties with Russia, including provisions for the deployment of Russian hypersonic missiles.

Also Read: | Belarus’ strongman leader pardons 20 more prisoners, but rights groups say repression continues

Human rights groups report that over 1,300 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, remain behind bars. Opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled Belarus after the 2020 election, has called the current vote a “farce” and urged citizens to reject all candidates.

(With inputs from AP)

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