Going back in the background? – Lukashenko visited opposition leaders in prison



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Lukashenko stayed four and a half hours in the preventive detention of the Belarusian State Security Commission (KGB). Among other things, he met former opposition presidential candidate Viktar Babarika, who was imprisoned at the beginning of the election campaign. We do not know anything about the subject of the discussions because the parties have accepted confidentiality.

During the trial, Lukashenko allegedly stressed that “the constitution is not written on the street.” According to the Belarusian opposition news portal Nexta

The change and the constitution could be discussed in the meetings.

On Saturday, Svyatlana Cihanouszka was able to call her husband, government critic Vlogger Syarhei Cihanouszki for the first time since she was imprisoned. Originally, Cihanouszki would have run against Lukashenko in the presidential elections, but his capture failed. He was eventually replaced by his wife, who ran as the only opposition to the post of head of state. Cihanouszkaja, who fled to Lithuania, wrote on the Telegram: She hasn’t spoken to her husband in 134 days.

An adviser to the opposition leader said the couple had talked about life in prison and children. Cihanouszki advised his wife to continue building relationships with foreign leaders. According to him, the Belarusian opposition should act harder.

Demonstrations have taken place in Belarus since the presidential elections on August 9. Lukashenko, who has led the country for 26 years, won more than 80 percent of the vote, according to official results, but the opposition believes that electoral fraud has occurred. The result of the vote is not recognized by various members of the international community. Thousands of people have been arrested during the uprisings and most opposition leaders are in prison or have forcibly fled abroad.

Meanwhile, Britain has temporarily withdrawn its ambassador to Belarus under pressure, Jacqueline Perkinst. In the past, several European countries have made similar decisions.

Poland and Lithuania sent home a total of 35 diplomats from their diplomatic mission in Minsk under pressure from the Belarusian authorities. Minsk called for a reduction in the size of the two diplomatic missions “due to their clearly harmful activities.”

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said his country condemned Belarus’ decision to expel Polish and Lithuanian diplomats.

Poland and Lithuania have hosted several Belarusian opponents who have been expelled from their homeland.

Cover Image Source: Getty Images



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