The presidential elections on August 9, 2020, took place under massive political pressure and contrary to Belarusian laws and international commitments. The ongoing state violence and detention of protesters against election rigging violates the Charter of Paris and the values of democracy and Human rights in Europe. They are shaking Read more
On 10.08.2020, the day after the presidential elections in Belarus, the incumbent president Alexander Lukashenka declared himself the winner with slightly over 80%. According to the official final result, his challenger, Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, received 9,9% of the vote. For the democratic public in Belarus and in Europe, there is no Read more
Two anniversaries that occurred in Belarus in 2019 were symptomatic of the current situation of the country, partly with respect to the contrast they evoke: 20 years ago, Belarus and Russia signed the Union State Treaty, and 25 years ago, Alexander Lukashenka was elected as Belarus’s first and, thus far, Read more
While preserving his power-politics prerogatives, Alexander Lukashenka, the president of Belarus since 1994, has steered a foreign policy course intended to maintain the country’s national autonomy despite its economic dependency on Moscow and made it possible for the nearly ten million-strong population to secure a livelihood through independent economic activity Read more
The situation in Belarus Belarus is feeling the political impact of Moscow’s aggressive policy towards neighbouring states with which it shares a Soviet history: Supported by an alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church, the Kremlin is promoting a concept of statehood and nation based on the “values of Russian culture” Read more
Dear Mr. President We, 48 undersigned organizations from 24 countries, strongly condemn the continuing wave of detentions and harassment of peaceful protesters, journalists, human rights defenders, civil society activists, anarchists and opposition party members in Belarus. Most of the detentions and harassment are linked to participation in peaceful protests demanding Read more
In Belarus – on of the EU’s new neighbors in Eastern Europe – human rights are heavily violated. President Alexander Lukashenka, in 1994 elected according to a democratic constitution, has changed the country with a ‘coup d’état’ in November 1996. Afterwards he changed the country into a neo-soviet authoritarian state: Read more
1. The situation in Belarus Moscow – Minsk tensions To shore up its precarious strategic situation, the authoritarian Lukashenko regime is pursuing a policy of controlled cooperation with the Russian Federation. Under Vladimir Putin, the Russian Federation seeks to establish a Moscow-steered Eurasian Economic Union; Belarus plays an important role Read more
Presidential elections were held in Belarus on 11 October 2015. As expected, Lukashenka was again elected to the presidency in elections that were, once again, rigged. And once again, new refinements in election manipulation were introduced. Foreign policy considerations suggest that a more positive evaluation of the regime on the Read more
On the situation in Belarus and recommendations for active measures to be taken by the European Union and its Member States I. Confrontation in Eastern Europe The Russian Federation has failed to recognise the resignation of Ukrainian President Yanukovych, which was forced by the Maidan demonstrations in February 2014 after Read more