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1 [1] (March 12, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govecqr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated March 12,2021 Belarus: An Overview Since 2020, Belarusian politics and societyhave undergone a trans formation many observers view as both tragic and inspiring. Before Belarus's August2020 presidential election, opposition candidate Sviatlana Ts ikhanouskaya mounted an unexpectedly strong campaign against Aleks andr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for more than 26 years. Protests against allegedly widespread electoral fraud and a brutal crackdown onprotestors led to the rise of a mass opposition movement, on a scale unseen since Belarus became independent in 1991. Human rights activists and monitors report more than 32,000 Belarus ians, including journalists, havebeen temporarily detained or imprisoned and consider about 200 to be politicalprisones. At least 10 demonstrators and others have been killed or died under suspicious circumstances. The United States, the European Union (EU), and others have called for an end to the crackdown and for the government to conduct a dialogue with the opposition and hold democratic presidential elections. Political Background In past years, observers have debated whether Lukashenko could be encouraged to preside over a softer and more development-oriented authoritarian regime, but political openings in Belarus have been modest and short-lived. Prior to the 2020 election, Lukashenko appeared to be interested in tightening Belarus's authoritarian system. In 2019 elections, pro-governmentcandidates won all 110 seats in parliament. In June 2020, Lukashenko appointed an official from the security sector as prime minister. FromMay 2020, Belarusian authorities tried,but failed, to suppress an unexpectedly energetic electoral opposition. Ts ikhanouskay a was apolitical novice who entered the race after her spouse, Siarhei Ts ikhanousky, a popular antigovernment video blogger, was denied candidate registration whenhe and dozens ofother governmentcritics were in temporary detention. Afterhis initialrelease, Siarhei Tsikhanousky was arrested again while collecting signatures forhis wife's candidacy; he remains in prison. Tsikhanouskayabecame the united opposition candidate after two prominent figures were denied registration. Viktar Babaryka, the longtime head of a bankownedby Russian energy companyGazprom, was arrestedon charges of bribery and money laundering that observers considered politically motivated. Valery Tsapkala, a former ambas s ador to the United States and head of Belarus's Hi- Tech Park, an information and communications technology (ICT) hub, left the country under threat. Ts ikhanouskay apledged to be a transitional figure who would reintroduce democracy to Belarus. Babaryka's camp aign manager, Mariy aKalesnikava, and Tsapkala's wife, Veranika Tsapkala, joined heron the campaign. The three women attracted tens of thousands to demonstrations. Given Lukashenko's authoritarian rule, observers did not expect Tsikhanouskaya to win the election. However, the official pronouncement that Lukashenko won with an evidently exaggerated 80% of the vote (to 10% for Tsikhanouskaya) quickly led to protests. The brutal crackdown that followed led to larger protests that many observers characterized as leaderless and sometimes attracted hundreds of thousands. Protests have since dwindled in frequency and size, but activists have adopted new methods of protest andengagement. Figure I. Belarus at a Glance Sources: World Bank; U.N. Comtrade Database. Exile, imprisonment, and persecution have imposed challenges for the opposition. Ts ikhanouskay a and her children left Belarus after she was detained andthreatened with imprisonment. In exile, Tsikhanouskayaformed a Coordination Council to help lead the opposition. Five of the council's seven seniormembers were detained after it was established. In September2020, Kalesnikava was abducted anddispatchedto the Belarus-Poland border. She was imprisoned after she refused to leave the country. Kales nikava and another council member, Maxim Znak, remain in prison. Others have left Belarus. The oppositionhas organized various actions to increase pressure on the government of Belarus and secure international attention. The opposition has been supported by a networkof former law enforcement officials who reportedly quit their jobs in protest (or were dismis sed) and who seekto expose allegedgovernment crimes, including against opposition figures and protesters. The opposition also has been supportedby members ofBelarus's once- burgeoning ICT industry, many of whomhave left the country, along with severalICT companies. ttps://crsreports.congress

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