Official statements from the European Union

Four Years After Disputed Election, Belarus Holds 1,400 Political Prisoners

Aug 9, 2024, 06:01 AM

Four years after the disputed presidential election in Belarus, the country continues to face significant political repression. The election, held on August 9, 2020, was widely criticized for being illegitimate, with many believing that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the rightful winner. The aftermath of the election saw the largest protests in Belarusian history, which were met with a harsh crackdown by the regime of Aleksander Lukashenka. Thousands of political prisoners, including over 1,400 writers and artists, remain detained, often held incommunicado. The international community, along with Belarusian opposition leaders, continues to call for the release of these prisoners and for global solidarity with those fighting for democracy in Belarus. The peaceful uprising against the dictatorship persists despite the suppression of mass protests.