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Since the presidential elections three weeks ago, the people of the country between Russia and Poland, a member of the EU, have taken to the streets every day. They demand the resignation of Lukashenko after 26 years in power and new elections. But he claims electoral victory with 80.1 percent of the votes for him. The opposition, however, considers Svetlana Tichanowskaya to be the real winner.
Internationally, the vote is criticized for being grossly falsified. Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated at the weekend that he believes Lukashenko will be the winner. Looking at the forgery accusations, he said: nothing in the world is “ideal.”
Meeting with Putin
During a phone call on Sunday for Lukashenko’s birthday, the two presidents agreed to meet in person in Moscow, the Kremlin announced. Not a moment in time was mentioned.
Putin recently demonstrated demonstrative support for his colleagues under pressure in Minsk, assuring them that in the event of an escalation, he would dispatch security forces from his Interior Ministry to the neighboring country if necessary. Moscow had previously warned the West not to interfere in the power struggle.
Repression of journalists
In recent days, journalists have also been targeted by the authoritarian government. Various representatives of the Western media, such as AFP, AP, BBC, ARD and Radio Freedom, the accreditations had been withdrawn, reported a reporter for the German Press Agency in Minsk. Some have already been expelled from the country. The authorities appear to want to avoid reporting on the protests nationwide. Of the ORF reports according to its own information, due to Russian Crown travel restrictions, currently over Belarus from Moscow.
Opposition leader Svetlana Tichanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania, said the crackdown on journalists was “another sign that the regime is morally bankrupt and the only way it can stay in power is through fear and the intimidation”.
AFP-Editor-in-chief Phil Chetwynd called for the accreditation to be returned so that journalists “can continue to provide independent and impartial coverage of events in Belarus.” too ARD, AP and BBC condemned the actions of the Belarusian authorities. Germany and the United States protested.
The country’s journalists’ association spoke of a massive withdrawal of work permits for representatives of the Belarusian media who worked for foreign radio or television stations, newspapers and news agencies. According to the WDR also a TALL-Camera crew detained in a police station for hours. It was released again on Saturday morning.
International critic
There was international criticism of the authorities’ approach. “If journalists are arbitrarily detained without any legal basis and prevented from doing their important work by withdrawing their work permit, then that is not at all acceptable,” said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD). His French colleague Jean-Yves Le Drian said: “The arbitrary measures taken by the Belarusian authorities against journalists are contrary to press freedom.”
The German Association of Journalists (DJV) called on the German government to impose specific sanctions on the Minsk government. The DJV asserted that, due to its current Presidency of the EU Council, Germany has a special responsibility to “give the Alexander Lukashenko regime a clear response to the persecution of journalists, opponents and critics.” The fact that Maas wanted to call the Belarusian ambassador was “an important signal,” said DJV federal president Frank Überall. But economic sanctions against Belarus should also “cease to be taboo.”
WDR program director Jörg Schönenborn said independent reporting in Belarus would be “almost impossible”. Tichanovskaya criticized the cancellation of accreditation as an attempt to scare and intimidate society.
Military maneuver
Regardless, the Belarusian army continued its maneuvers near Grodno in the west of the country on Sunday. According to the Ministry of Defense, tanks, paratroopers and artillery are also used. Lukashenko had threatened to use the army against the protesters if necessary.
Meanwhile, in view of the serious political crisis in Belarus, the Catholic Church asked for prayers for the country. In September, people should pray for the intercession of Archangel Michael to “end the escalation of the conflict and resolve the crisis quickly,” says a pastoral letter from Minsk Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, which was read in the country’s Catholic churches on Sunday. as reported by Kathpress. Archangel Michael is the main patron of the Church in Belarus.
“Our homeland is going through an unprecedented socio-political crisis that worsens every day,” said the president of the Bishops’ Conference of Belarus in the pastoral letter. Blood was spilled and many people were injured. The division in society is increasing. More and more people say the “danger of civil war” is increasing.
According to Kathpress, Kondrusiewicz on Thursday condemned the blocking of the doors of a Catholic church in Minsk by the armed police of the Omon special unit. Several dozen protesters were locked in the church for 40 minutes on Wednesday night after fleeing the police. It was a “grave violation of the rights of believers and religious freedom,” the archbishop said. He asked that those responsible for the “inappropriate and illegal” police operation be punished.
About 10 to 15 percent of the 9.5 million Belarusians belong to the Catholic Church. The vast majority of the country’s citizens are Orthodox Christians.
