[ad_1]
Belarus has been rocked by protests critical of the regime since the controversial elections on August 9. The election is considered rigged and the protesters are demanding the resignation of Alexander Lukashenko, who according to official figures received 80 percent of the vote.
At the same time, a KHL premiere is planned in the capital Minsk. And the visiting team Jokerit from Finland, despite criticism from fans, former sponsors, Finnish politicians and the country’s players’ association, has chosen not to cancel the match against Dinamo Minsk on Thursday.
The trip sends completely the wrong signals, says Thomas Karv, PhD in political science at the Turku Academy in Vaasa.
– The biggest problem is that the trip can turn into a propaganda victory. Lukashenko can show this to the rest of the fans and say: Look, not everyone is against us! Now Jokerit comes from liberal western Finland and plays a match, as if the situation is completely normal, Karv tells Yle.
Klubbens supportergrupp Eteläpääty has said that the team’s home matches in Helsinki will be boycotted if the match ends in Minsk.
“Due to the situation in Belarus and the human rights violations, we cannot approve the match being played in Minsk,” Eteläpääty said in a statement.
Thomas Karv, on the other hand, does not think one should burden the individual player too much. In the current situation, it will be a political position no matter how you decide to act.
– Career and salary may be at stake. It’s easy to judge when you yourself are sitting in a comfortable office in Vaasa, overlooking the sea, says Karv.
Ingmar Nevéus: Lukashenko about to weather the storm
