[ad_1]
The presidential elections in Belarus, which, according to official results, were won by the current president of the country, Alexander Lukashenko, were rigged, highlighted the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
The European Union does not consider Alexander Lukashenko to be the legitimate president of Belarus. This was said by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, during a meeting of the European Parliament, which was broadcast on YouTube.
“The situation is clear to us: we believe that the August 9 elections were rigged. […] We do not recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate president of Belarus, “he said.
Mass protests have been going on in Belarus since August 9. The protesters believe that the results of the presidential elections were falsified. According to official data, Lukashenka won with 80.1% of the voters. Opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya came in second with 10.1% of the vote. At the same time, alternative exit polls showed the opposite picture: Tikhanovskaya’s confident victory.
The Belarusian security forces violently dispersed the demonstrations, in particular with the use of stun grenades, rubber bullets and water cannons. During the protests, about 10,000 protesters were detained and hundreds were injured and wounded. According to official figures, four protesters died.
Borrell, representing the European Union, declared on August 11 that the elections in Belarus “were neither free nor fair”and the authorities used “disproportionate and unacceptable violence” against the protesters.
EU Foreign Ministers August 28 agreed to impose sanctions on top Belarusian officials due to electoral fraud and violence against protesters.
[ad_2]
