One-quarter of the 5,012 criminal cases that were brought by Belarusian authorities in 2023 under a handful of articles to suppress political speech and activities concerned alleged insults against longtime leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka, according to an analysis of police data. Lukashenka has cracked down on dissent since claiming a sixth presidential term after a 2020 election marred by exclusions and allegations of widespread fraud. The criminal articles punish those deemed to have insulted officials or the president and to have disturbed public order. Two dozen Nobel Prize laureates recently urged the release of hundreds of political prisoners in Belarus, including 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Byalyatski. To see the original story by RFE/RL's Belarusian Service, click here.
In Belarus, One-Fourth Of 'Political' Criminal Cases Were About Lukashenka Insults
Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka (file photo)