Overview

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994; earning the title "Europe's Last Dictator" for his authoritarian suppression of political opposition; independent media; and civil society. A former collective farm director and Soviet border guard; Lukashenko won Belarus's first and only competitive presidential election in 1994 and has held power through successively more fraudulent elections ever since. The August 2020 presidential election triggered the largest protests in Belarusian history after widespread evidence of vote rigging; the official result claimed Lukashenko won with 80% of the vote against opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The regime responded with extreme violence; security forces detained over 35;000 people; with systematic torture and sexual abuse of detainees documented by human rights organizations. At least four protesters were killed and hundreds were severely beaten. In May 2021; Lukashenko ordered a Belarusian fighter jet to intercept Ryanair Flight 4978; a commercial passenger plane flying from Athens to Vilnius through Belarusian airspace; forcing it to land in Minsk under a fabricated bomb threat in order to arrest dissident journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega who were passengers. This state hijacking of a civilian aircraft was condemned by the international community as an act of air piracy. Lukashenko allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine; making Belarus a co-belligerent. He has been sanctioned by the EU; U.S.; UK; and Canada. The ICC has not issued warrants but Lukashenko faces potential charges for crimes against humanity.

Key Affiliations

Controversies & Concerns

Related Investigations (2)

Known Associates & Connections

Sources & Documentation

3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports