EU preparing sanctions for Belarus

(Patria) – Protests in Belarus continued on Monday evening with more than 5,000 opposition supporters gathering in the central part of Minsk, telling re-elected President Lukashenko to ‘leave’.

Protests against the allegedly rigged election results last Sunday, according to which long-time ruler Alexander Lukashenko won more than 80% support, have entered their 9th day. 

The international community, which is closely monitoring developments in Belarus, also disputes the fairness of the elections, the treatment of demonstrators by the police and authorities, as well as numerous arrests of prominent opposition figures.

President of the EU Council Charles Michel announced an extraordinary summit for Wednesday to discuss the current situation in Belarus, noting that the elections were ‘neither free nor fair’.

Michel also announced that the EU has ‘started working on sanctions’.

The UK government also commented, stating that it does not accept the election results, while US President Donald Trump called the situation ‘terrible’ and said he continues to monitor it.

President Lukashenko unexpectedly encountered a hostile reception from workers during a visit to a factory where he expected the opposite – wholehearted support.

– It may seem to you that the government no longer exists, that it has collapsed. The government will never collapse, you know me well, Lukashenko (65) retorted to the workers and added that there will be no new elections ‘until you kill me’.

However, the ‘last European dictator’ also suggested that he would leave his presidential post and hand over powers if constitutional reforms were adopted by referendum – although he did not specify which reforms.

Thousands of workers in state-owned companies have started striking and joined the protests.

It is estimated that around 200,000 citizens participated in the protests on Sunday, which led the European Union to announce that it ‘stands with the people’ of Belarus who demand change.  

Another opposition leader, Maria Kolesnikova, is in the spotlight, demanding that security forces be held accountable for violence against demonstrators and the brutal treatment of citizens arrested for participating in protests, of whom about 4,000 are still in custody.

At least two people have lost their lives in the clashes that marked the protests, and local media suggest that about 80 people are missing.

Around 2,000 citizens were released from custody on Friday, and many of them suffered severe injuries and have bruises, contusions on their backs, head wounds, and burns.

Amnesty International claims to have evidence of torture of arrested demonstrators in custody, which the authorities persistently deny despite abundant evidence.

– We will not stop until the current rulers resign and Belarus becomes a free country, Kolesnikova said, adding that ‘26 years of nightmare must end’, Euronews reports.