{"id":122950,"date":"2025-01-23T13:21:32","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T10:21:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122950\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"un-special-rapporteur-slams-belarus-presidential-election-as-unfree-and-unfair","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122950\/","title":{"rendered":"UN special rapporteur slams Belarus\u2019 presidential election as unfree and unfair"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January 23, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>Belarusian presidential election that started with early voting two days ago and is expected to conclude on the main voting day on Sunday “will not be free and fair,\u201d Nils Mui\u017enieks, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Belarus, has told journalists in Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holding an election in an atmosphere of fear and amid politically-motivated reprisals is next to impossible, he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus\u2019 seventh presidential election from January 21 to 26 is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a new wave of crackdown on regime critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The presidential bidders are Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, in power since 1994, his supporters Aleh Hajdukievi\u010d, Alaksandar Chi\u017eniak and Siarhiej Syranko\u016d. Another candidate is Hanna Kanapackaja, a former member of the United Civic Party and an MP from 2016 to 2019, who also ran for president in 2020. She positions herself as a \u201cdemocratic alternative,\u201d yet criticizes \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s exiled or jailed opponents rather than himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The previous 2020 presidential race was marred by fraud and police brutality against peaceful protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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