US President Biden has expressed his support for the pro-democracy movement in that country during a meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Tikhanovskaya. Tikhanovskaya was received at the White House, something usually reserved for heads of state and government.
Biden said after the meeting that the United States stands side by side with the people of Belarus, where dictator Lukashenko has been in power for 27 years.
Tichanovskaya, who previously spoke with Secretary of State Blinken and National Security Adviser Sullivan in Washington, said afterwards that she had asked Biden for support. The US is “morally obliged” to help the Belarusian people, according to the 38-year-old Tikhanovskaya. It is not clear what Biden has specifically promised.
Election result unbelievable
In August last year there were presidential elections in Belarus, in which the opposition managed to make a serious fist for the first time, despite heavy opposition this time too. Several opponents were jailed before the polls. Tikhanovskaya, the partner of one of the arrested opposition leaders, eventually presented himself as one of the opponents and surprised with a convincing campaign.
According to the official results released by the authorities, Lukashenko won again this time by a large majority, but the opposition and even supporters of the president called the result unbelievable. Unprecedented mass protests broke out in the country, which were brutally suppressed; thousands of Belarusians ended up in jail.
Sanctions
Both the EU and the US have sided with the Belarusian opposition and imposed sanctions against Lukashenko’s government. This happened, among other things, after Belarus landed a passenger plane on its way from Greece to Lithuania in Minsk, and subsequently removed a dissident from the aircraft.
Tikhanovskaya has emigrated to Lithuania and is trying to increase the pressure on Lukashenko with international help. She ultimately wants new elections overseen by international observers. Lukashenko still has the crucial support of big neighbor Russia.
Earlier this year, Nieuwsuur spoke with relatives of detainees in Belarus. The images and stories are shocking and give an insight into what is happening in the prisons in the country:
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