The Belarusian state outlets’ spinning of the 26 January 2025 ‘election’ has been as bizarre as the ‘election’ itself and as heavy as the repression in the country.

A seventh term for Lukashenka

The 70-year-old Belarusian autocrat, reigning in Minsk since 1994, is preparing to stage a coronation for yet another five-year term, totalling a potential 35 years in power.

After falsifying the results of the elections in August 2020, Lukashenka has preserved his power thanks to two factors: brutal repression of the country’s pro-democracy demonstrations and political and economic support from Russia.

To prevent similar large-scale unrest to that of 2020, Lukashenka has sought to eradicate civil society in Belarus, dissolved all political opposition parties, and intimidated the Belarusian society through consistent violations of basic human rights and freedoms.

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