Whats happening in Belarus is extremely terrifying. I don't think people fully understand this. Humans rights go out the window.
Lukashenko has been in power for 20+ years which means he has had enough time to put his people in every part of state. He is believed to have rigged all elections except the first one he won. He stopped THREE people from registering as candidates for this election, and this by arresting them or driving them out of the country. Tsikhanouskaya's husband is one of them and he's been framed and in prison for months. She had to move her children out of the country for safety, she went into hiding a few days before the election in fear some individuals were monitoring her apartament. Multiple people from her campaign management have been arrested, some also released.
Come election day and the results were out of this world, obviously faked. People are so sick of it that they posted the actual results from polling stations (brave people and workers, mind you, they risked their job and lifes!). People created ways prior to the election so that it would be transparent how they voted (folding the voting papers into 5-6 times, using an app to take pictures of their bulletin). Incredible organization. Yet, their leader was detained the next day, presumably held hostage (maybe also being threatened with her kids safety and husbands life) for a few hours to read some piece of paper calling an end to the protests while also calling for people to accept the results. She has escaped since then and is now in Lithuania.
Protests started peacefully! But the actual army men were called in! To what! To attack citizens and pull them into black vans! 7k people have been arrested the last few days, at least two people died. One was run over by a truck! Multiple injured. Kids, teenagers, adults. Police didn't care who was in front of them.
Their internet was cut off, means of communications completely halted. In 2020 Europe. Videos have come up with protesters arrested and beaten being held up along a wall like they were some kind of criminals, these were published on NATIONAL TELEVISION to induce fear in people to stop protests. Lukashenko is fighting with full force in fear of losing power.
People are still protesting. Some policemen have been removing their uniforms and throwing them into the trash.
Please look over what is happening. Its terrifying. You might think how can this be possible, its so obvious what is happening, why aren't there people doing smt, but a dictator controls all parts of state. He is the state. There needs to be extreme external and internal pressure for him to even think of standing down. Extreme: companies, the EU, the US, most international partners.
Belarus. You can do this. Stay strong.
