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1 [1] (December 10, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govehdw0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Servic informing the legisi itive debate since 1914 Belarus: An Overview Since August 2020, authorities in Belarus have engaged in a political, media, and civil society crackdown that human rights monitors have called unprecedented and catastrophic. More than 37,000 Belarusians reportedly have been detained or imprisoned; more than 900 are considered political prisoners. Several have been killed or have died under suspicious circumstances. In addition to persecuting opposition members and protest participants, authorities have intensified repression against independent media and civil society organizations, journalists, and human rights defenders. 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. The U.S. Congress has passed legislation supporting democracy in Belarus. The crackdown in Belarus emerged in response to the rise of a mass opposition movement, on a scale unseen since Belarus became independent in 1991 (Belarus previously was part of the Soviet Union). The movement arose out of protests against seemingly widespread electoral fraud in the wake of an August 2020 presidential election, during which opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya mounted an unexpectedly strong campaign against Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for more than 27 years. Political Background In past years, observers debated whether Lukashenko could be encouraged to preside over a softer 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. Tsikhanouskaya was a political novice who entered the race after her spouse, a popular anti-government video blogger, was denied candidate registration and imprisoned. Tsikhanouskaya became the united opposition candidate after two prominent potential candidates also were denied registration. One of them, banker Viktar Babaryka, was arrested on charges of bribery and money laundering that observers considered politically motivated. In July 2021, Babaryka was sentenced to 14 years in prison. On the campaign trail, Tsikhanouskaya pledged to be a transitional figure who would reintroduce democracy to Belarus. Babaryka's campaign manager, Mariya Kalesnikava, and the spouse of another denied candidate joined her on 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. A brutal crackdown that followed led to larger Updated December 10, 2021 protests that many observers characterized as leaderless and that sometimes attracted hundreds of thousands. Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus after she was detained and threatened with imprisonment. From neighboring Lithuania, she formed a Coordination Council to help lead the opposition. Kalesnikava was abducted and dispatched to the Belarus-Ukraine border. She was imprisoned after she refused to leave the country. In September 2021, Kalesnikava and another council member, Maksim Znak, were sentenced to 11 and 10 years in prison, respectively. The opposition has organized various actions to increase pressure on the government of Belarus and to secure international attention. A network of former law enforcement officials who seek to expose alleged government crimes has supported the opposition. Members of Belarus's once-burgeoning information and communications technology industry, many of whom have left the country, also have supported the opposition. Figure 1. Belarus at a Glance Sources: World Bank; Trade Data Monitor Forced Air Diversion and Migrant Crisks In addition to engaging in human rights abuses, Belarusian authorities have taken controversial actions internationally. In May 2021, authorities alleged a bomb threat against Ryanair Flight 4978 (en route from Athens to Vilnius) and required the plane to land in Minsk with a military escort. An EU official referred to the seemingly fake threat as an act of state piracy. The evident purpose of the diversion was to capture passenger Raman Pratasevich, cofounder of a popular Belarusian online news channel that had facilitated 2020 postelection protests. Belarusian authorities arrested Pratasevich and his companion, Russian national Sofia Sapega, after the plane landed in Minsk. The United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization is investigating the incident. In June 2021, authorities transferred Pratasevich and Sapega to house arrest.

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