What's Happening In Belarus

Belarus is a small country in eastern Europe and has been under a dictatorship since 2000. In 1994 a man who appeared to be of the people became president. It wasn’t until two years later that he showed his true colors.

It has been well documented over the years ‘President’ Alexander Lukashenko (Alyaksandr Lukashenka) has killed off any running opposition to remain in power. Many surrounding countries, including the US, have stated they do not acknowledge Lukashenko as being in office for the last 27 years. Nor do they support his hand-selected government. 

However, last year, there appeared to be some hope for democracy. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Svetlana Tikhanovskaya), a human rights activist, ran in place of her husband after his arrest for a ‘breach in public order’ when collecting support signatures. She quickly had a large following and became a popular candidate choice. 

Peaceful protests started in May 2020, once Lukashenko announced he was running for re-election. The protests haven’t stopped, with the most recent being February 7th 2021. Thousands have been arrested, tortured and killed by the police for protesting against the government.

 Two female journalists have been sentenced to two years in prison after live broadcasting the election-day protests. Katsiaryna Andreyeva (27) and Daria Chultsova (23) can be seen arm in arm, smiling, holding a 'V' sign with their fingers. V for victory. More innocent people are to stand trial in the upcoming weeks. Oppositional candidates, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, have fled to neighboring countries for their safety, but continue to support the movement and fight for freedom.

 It is unclear what is to come, but our thoughts are with those who are being unjustly harmed for doing their job or fighting for freedom.