Latest Alexander Lukashenko News
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Belarus opposition and Western leaders reject election result that extends strongman's rule
Belarus' opposition activists and Western officials on Monday denounced an orchestrated election that extends the more than three-decade rule of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. The country's exiled opposition leader called the result “sheer nonsense.” The Central...
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Belarus strongman wins a 7th term in an election the opposition calls a farce
The smiling face of President Alexander Lukashenko gazed out from campaign posters across Belarus on Sunday as the country held an orchestrated election virtually guaranteed to give the 70-year-old autocrat yet another term on top of his three decades in power. “Needed!” the...
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Belarus frees American woman from detention as strongman leader looks to extend 30-year rule
Belarus has “unilaterally” freed an American woman from detention, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday, as the Kremlin-allied country held an orchestrated election poised to give strongman President Alexander Lukashenko yet another term on top of his three decades in power. ...
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EU rejects election in Belarus and threatens new sanctions
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union rejected the election in Belarus on Sunday as illegitimate and threatened new sanctions. Belarus held an orchestrated vote virtually guaranteed to give 70-year-old autocratic President Alexander Lukashenko yet another term on top of his three...
Belarus votes in orchestrated election all but certain to extend the rule of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko
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Belarus election is poised to extend the 30-year rule of 'Europe's last dictator'
The last time Belarus staged a presidential election in 2020, authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner with 80% of the vote. That triggered cries of fraud, months of protests and a harsh crackdown with thousands of arrests. Not wanting to risk such unrest...
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An imprisoned Nobel laureate underscores human rights abuses in Belarus
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The yellow name tag that Ales Bialiatski wears on his prison garb sets him apart from other inmates in Penal Colony No. 9 in eastern Belarus. It marks Bialiatski as a political prisoner to be singled out for harsh treatment. Because he's been labeled an...
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Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after being held incommunicado for over 700 days
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — An imprisoned opposition activist in Belarus resurfaced Wednesday in a video shot by a pro-government blogger after over 700 days of no contact with his family, weeks before an election that is all but certain keep the country's strongman leader in power. ...
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Catholic priest in Belarus sentenced to 11 years as crackdown on dissent continues
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Catholic priest in Belarus on Monday was convicted on charges of high treason for criticizing the government and handed an 11-year sentence, in the first case of politically-driven charges against Catholic clergy since Belarus became independent in the 1991 collapse of...
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Belarus' strongman leader pardons 20 more prisoners, but rights groups say repression continues
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 20 more people that rights activists describe as political prisoners, a statement on the president's website said Saturday. The announcement came amid persistent oppression in the run-up to...
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