Alexander Lukashenko: Find out who is Putin's ally in Europe
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko passed a new law on Thursday (April 1) that guarantees him lifelong immunity from prosecution and prevents opposition leaders living abroad from running in future presidential elections.
The text stipulates that when or if Lukashenko leaves power, “he cannot be held responsible for actions taken in connection with the exercise of his presidential powers.” Lukashenko is considered “Europe’s last dictator” and has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for almost 30 years.
The president and his family members receive lifelong protection from the state as well as medical care and health and life insurance. After leaving office, the head of government automatically becomes a life member of the upper house of parliament the legislative body equivalent to the Senate.
The measure has the potential to further consolidate Lukashenko's power and eliminate his potential rivals in the next presidential election in 2025, such as opposition leader and candidate Lukashenko reportedly defeated in the 2020 election, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
The law increases the requirements for possible candidacies and prohibits opposition leaders who have had to flee the country from taking part in elections. Only Belarusian citizens who have lived permanently in the country for at least 20 years and have never received a residence permit in another country are eligible to participate.
Opponents arrested or banished
In 2020, Lukashenko was reelected amid numerous allegations of fraud from the opposition and Western countries. The result triggered a wave of mass protests in the country, which were brutally suppressed by the regime. At that time, more than 35,000 people were arrested, many of whom were victims of torture or had to leave the country.
The Belarusian regime is one of the main supporters of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lukashenko, a loyal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is also accused of being involved in the illegal deportation of children from Russianoccupied Ukrainian cities to Belarus.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said the new law reflected Lukashenko's fear of an “inevitable future” and his concern about what might happen if he leaves power.
“No immunity will protect you”
“Lukashenko, who ruined the fate of thousands of Belarusians, will be punished according to international law, and no immunity will protect him from it. It’s just a matter of time,” said the opposition figure, who fled the country from political persecution in 2020 and went into exile in Lithuania.
The Belarusian opposition wants to open an investigation into the disappearances of opposition members and the illegal sending of Ukrainian children to Belarus.
“We will ensure that the dictator is brought to justice,” he said. She emphasized that there are currently around 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus, including her husband, opposition blogger Serguei Tikhanovsky and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski.