August 9th marks the one-year anniversary of the presidential election that sparked a mass opposition movement in Belarus. Since then, Alexander Lukashenko’s regime has been carrying out a campaign of repression that has wiped out street protests, forced opposition leaders to flee the country, and all but destroyed independent media. In total, at least seven opposition demonstrators were killed over the past year and the authorities launched 4,691 criminal cases in connection with the protests. And according to the human rights group Viasna, there are currently more than 600 political prisoners in Belarus. Nevertheless, there is no indication that the persecutions are coming to an end: some opposition leaders are only now going to trial and there’s an ongoing campaign to liquidate independent civil society organizations. Meduza looks back on the events of this pivotal year for Belarus.
Protests in Belarus
Meduza: The year that changed Belarus
Law enforcement officers detain a man as opposition supporters rally to protest against police violence and Belarus' presidential election results in Minsk on Nov. 22, 2020.
