European Forum

Belarusian police cracks down on protests

On 22 June peaceful protest actions were held in over 30 towns across Belarus. Riot police broke up a protest against President Aleksandr Lukashenko in the capital, Minsk. They sealed off entry to the city's October Square near the main presidential headquarters, as they did a week ago. When up to 1,000 people gathered on the main thoroughfare, Independence Prospect, squads of special forces moved in and hustled people into police buses. Responding to an opposition Internet call, dozens of cars had joined the protest, driving slowly down the main thoroughfare and sounding their horns. Otherwise demonstrators gathered peacefully, simply applauding in a coordinated act of protest. The police reportedly detained about 300 people in Minks, including several journalists. The Belarus rights organisation Vesna-96 said that about 100 people had been detained in other parts of Belarus for staging protests. On 23 June it was made public that 200 protesters were released by the authorities. 

Interior Ministry officials were not reachable for comment. Belarus has been struggling for months to pull out of a currency crisis, which has led to a 36 percent devaluation against the dollar. Lukashenko, in power since 1994, signalled on 17 June that he wanted an end to street rallies and said he would sack his interior minister if they did not end. 

Minsk is receiving several millions dollars of credit from a Russian-led bailout, but is also seeking up to billion of aid from the International Monetary Fund. Russia is Belarus's biggest trading partner, providing it with oil and gas and a huge market for its exports. Delivery of IMF aid is complicated by Lukashenko's poor image in the West since a police crackdown on an opposition rally against his re-election last December. The United States and the European Union have implemented a travel ban on him and his inner circle while a special report by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe has accused his government of using harassment, torture and blackmail to keep the lid on unrest. 

The EU last Monday extended economic sanctions against Belarus, imposing an asset freeze on an arms tycoon close to Lukashenko and three companies linked to him. The EU has also expanded a blacklist of people subject to travel and other sanctions. On 19 December 2010 demonstrations and protests erupted in Minsk after the disputed re-election of Belarus’ authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, which handed him a fourth five-year term in office. During the mass rally seven presidential candidates and more than 600 protesters were arrested. Most of the opposition figures have been held in prison since their arrest and some have convicted. 

Sources: Reuters, RFE/RL, Volkkrant Photo: Flickr LHOON