Europe live: pro-democracy crackdown in Belarus as country braces for sham election

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Belarus vote has 'nothing in common' with democratic elections, exiled opposition leader says

Tsikhanouskaya speaking to Reuters earlier this week Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

Tsikhanouskaya, the head of the exiled Belarusian opposition, spoke with Reuters earlier this week.

Here is what she said:

“What in the democratic world you call elections has nothing in common with this event in Belarus. Because it’s mostly like a ritual for dictators, when they are reappointing themselves.”

She argued that Lukashenko was playing his “usual game” of drip-feeding prisoner releases in the hope of winning rewards from the West.

She said the exiled opposition was counting on further support from what she called the “democratic world” in its efforts to weaken Lukashenko and bring change to the country.

“Our fight is not just only for Belarus, it’s a fight against dictatorship,” she said. “We need allies in this fight.”

If you are not familiar with her story, here is her profile from 2023:

Here’s more from Reuters on Lukashenko’s pardons this morning:

Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is assured of winning a new five-year term on Sunday. The exiled opposition says the vote is a sham because all his leading critics have been jailed or forced to flee the country.

Mass protests nearly swept Lukashenko from power after the last election in 2020, when Western governments backed the opposition’s assertion that he falsified the results and stole victory from its candidate, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. He used his security apparatus to crush the demonstrations, arresting tens of thousands of people.

Human rights group Viasna, which is banned in Belarus as an extremist organisation, says there are about 1,250 political prisoners in the country, even after the release of more than 250 in the past year. Many of those freed were sick, elderly or close to the end of their sentences.

A woman walks past an election poster ahead of presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus. Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP

Lukashenko issues pardons on eve of election

A police officer walks past an election billboard ahead of presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus. Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP

So let’s go straight to Minsk, where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 15 prisoners in what state media called a humanitarian gesture, two days before an election in which he is set to extend his 31-year rule.

State media said Lukashenko had pardoned eight people convicted of extremist activity and seven sentenced for drug crimes. It did not give any of their names. Earlier this week, he signed a decree raising pensions by an average of 10%.

Political analysts say Lukashenko is hoping to use the election and successive batches of prisoner releases to try to repair relations with the West, which has imposed waves of sanctions on Belarus over its human rights record and support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

His efforts have become more urgent, they say, as he contemplates the likelihood of Ukraine peace talks this year and tries to secure gains for himself and Belarus if the conflict comes to an end, Reuters reports.

Morning opening: Stay safe Ireland and focus on Belarus

A tree lies on a road during Storm Eowyn in Rathangan, Ireland. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Over 700,000 premises are currently reported to be without power in Ireland this morning as Storm Éowyn, expected to be one of the most dangerous in history, makes landfall.

The entire island of Ireland is under a red weather warning this morning. Later today, tricky weather conditions could also affect parts of continental Europe, including northern France.

We are covering the weather situation on our special blog:

Elsewhere in Europe, it looks like a fairly quiet day, which, given the intensity of the world this week, is good news.

We will take a look at Belarus, where Alexander Lukashenko will undoubtedly hail another hollow victory on Sunday.

I will also keep you up to date on:

• the Irish government formation process,

• the situation in Germany, where the campaign heats up ahead of next month’s parliamentary election,

• and all other key news stories from across the continent.

It’s Friday, 24 January 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.

If you are in Ireland, let us know - email me at [email protected] or message on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social or on X at @jakubkrupa.

Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, pictured at at a meeting in Russia last month. Photograph: Gavriil Grigorov/Reuters