About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 [1] (June 25, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/goveduh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated June 25, 2021 Belarus: An Overview In 2020, protests against allegedly widespread electoral fraud and a brutalcrackdown on protesters led to the rise of a mass opposition movement in Belarus, on a s cale unseen since the country became independent in 1991 (Belarus previously was part of the Soviet Union). The protests emerged in the wake of Belarus's August 2020presidential election, during which opposition candidate Sviatlana Ts ikhanouskaya mounted an unexpectedly strong campaign against Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for more than 26 years. Since August 2020, about 35,000 Belarusians reportedly have been detained or impris oned. More than 500, including 62 women, are considered politicalprisoners. Several individuals have been killed or have 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 hold free and fair presidential elections. Forced Diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978 On May 23, 2021, Belarusian authorities alleged a bomb threat against Ryanair Flight 4978 (en route fromAthens to Vilnius) and required theplane to land in Minsk with a military escort. The diversion was widely characterized as a bomb hoax, and a senior EU official referred to it as an act of state piracy. The apparent purpose of the diversion was to capture flight passenger Raman Pratasevich, co-founder of Nexta, a popular Belarusian online news channel that facilitated 2020 postelection protests in Belarus. Authorities arrested Pratasevich and his companion, Russian national Sofia Sapega, after theplane landed. The United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization launched an investigation of the incident. After the EUimposed related sanctions in June 2021, authorities transferred Pratasevich and Sapegato house arrest. Political Background In past years, observers debated whether Lukashenko could be encouraged to preside over a softer and more development-oriented authoritarian regime, but political openings in Belarus were modest and short-lived. From May 2020, Belarusian authorities tried but failed to suppress an unexpectedly energetic electoral opposition. Ts ikhanouskay a was a political novice who entered the race afterher spouse, SiarheiTsikhanousky, a popular anti- government video blogger, was denied candidate registration when he and dozens ofother government critics were in temporary detention. After his initialrelease, Tsikhanousky was arrested again while collecting signatures forhis wife's candidacy. In June 2021, trial proceedings began against the imprisoned Tsikhanousky and otherpoliticalprisoners, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty consultant Ihar Losik. ttps://crsreport Tsikhanouskayabecame the united opposition candidate after two prominent potential candidates were denied registration. On the campaign trail, Tsikhanouskaya pledged to bea transitional figure who would reintroduce democracy to Belarus. One denied candidate's campaign manager, Mariya Kalesnikava, and the spouseofanother denied candidate 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 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. Figure I. Belarus at a Glance Sources: World Bank; Trade Data Monitor. Tsikhanouskayaleft Belarus after she was detained and threatened with imprisonment. Fromneighboring Lithuania, she formed a Coordination Council to help lead the opposition; five of the council's seven seniormembers wer detained after it was established. Former campaign manager Kalesnikava was abducted and dispatched to the Belarus- Poland border. She was imprisoned after she refused to leave the country. Kales nikav a and another council member remain in prison. Others have left Belarus. The oppositionhas organized various actions to increase pressure on the government of Belarus and to secure international attention. A network of former law enforcement officials who seekto exposealleged government crimes has supportedthe opposition. Members of Belarus's once-burgeoning information and communications technology industry, many ofwhomhave left the country, also have supported the opposition. Relations with Russia Belarus's closestpartner is Rus sia. Belarus is a member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, and .congress.gov

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most