Belarus: new demonstration against Alexander Lukashenko, targeted by opposition ultimatum

The protest movement continues in Belarus.

In Minsk, the Belarusian capital, a new demonstration was held against President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday, October 25.

This is the last day of an ultimatum set by the opposition for Alexander Lukashenko to step down, otherwise it will call for a general strike.  

An ultimatum on the initiative of Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa

The Belarusian opposition demands the departure of Alexander Lukashenko, 66, in power since 1994, since the presidential election deemed fraudulent on August 9, 2020. The protest movement has since come under constant pressure from the authorities, which has resulted in detention or to the exile abroad of all its main figures. 

Belarusian opposition figurehead Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, 38, this month issued an ultimatum to Alexander Lukashenko, giving him until Sunday to step down, otherwise she will call for a monster demonstration and strike general.

In her ultimatum set for October 25, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who had to flee the country after the August elections, also called for an end to police pressure and the release of all "political prisoners".

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The opposition claimed the ballot was tampered with and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya claimed victory in the election.

From Lithuania where she has taken refuge, and with the support of several Western leaders, she calls for new elections.

During a visit to Copenhagen on Friday, where she met Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, she called for a new ballot "as soon as possible".

In a statement, she then said a date should be set by the end of the year.

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"I know a lot of people are afraid of losing their jobs," she told AFP of the strike call.

"We do not organize strikes, it is the people who decide for themselves whether they are ready or not."

In previous strikes, particularly in public enterprises, strikers have come under significant pressure.

The Telegram channel NEXTA Live, which is partly coordinating the protest, called on its 2 million subscribers to gather in central Minsk for "the last day of the people's ultimatum".

NEXTA, based in Poland, was placed this week by the Belarusian courts on the list of "extremist" resources.

After carrying out a brutal crackdown in the days following the election, authorities this month threatened to fire live ammunition to disperse protesters "if necessary".

But tens of thousands of protesters continued to gather across the country despite everything, and the traditional women's march against power gathered several hundred in Minsk on Saturday, with the NGO Vesna reporting several arrests. 

The opposition weakened but supported by the European Union

All Belarusian opposition figures are now detained or in exile abroad.

Since the start of the protest, the crackdown has left at least three dead and dozens injured.

The European Parliament this week awarded the Sakharov Prize for Human Rights to the "democratic opposition" in Belarus. 

President Alexander Lukashenko has shown him no intention of complying with the demands of his detractors, on the contrary.

While he enjoys the support of Moscow, he is under threat of sanctions from the EU, which has rejected the results of the August 9 election and has already sanctioned 40 regime officials, including the minister of the Interior and his deputy.

>> Read also on France 24: The Sakharov Prize for Human Rights awarded to the Belarusian opposition

On Saturday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Alexander Lukashenko to release an American political adviser, arrested in Belarus before the election and charged by Belarusian authorities with organizing actions violating public order.

With AFP

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