{"id":199298,"date":"2026-08-09T12:01:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T09:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/199298\/"},"modified":"2026-08-09T12:01:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T09:01:35","slug":"democratic-countries-reaffirm-solidarity-with-belarusians-on-2020-election-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/199298\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic countries reaffirm solidarity with Belarusians on 2020 election anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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August 9, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>The European Union and other democratic countries have expressed their solidarity with Belarusians on the sixth anniversary of the 2020 presidential election that sparked countrywide protests against election fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday marks the sixth year since the fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus. Then, the democratic expression of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians was met with\u00a0unprecedented force and violence,\u201d the European External Action Service (EEAS) said<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, the Belarusian people were denied a free and fair presidential election, noted<\/a> Finland\u2019s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen. \u201cDespite ongoing repression, their courage endures. We stand with the people of Belarus and reaffirm our unwavering support for a free, democratic and independent Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open dialogue, full respect for citizens\u2019 rights and the release and rehabilitation of all jailed dissidents are the norm in a democratic state, the Polish foreign ministry stressed<\/a>, noting its solidarity with the Belarusian civil society. \u201cWe advocate for good-neighborly relations with a sovereign and democratic Belarus and the free Belarusian Nation,\u201d the statement reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFreedom cannot be silenced. The future of Belarus belongs to its people. Every day, Belarusians demonstrate extraordinary courage in defending their right to determine their own future,\u201d Tallinn said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius stressed the need to \u201cstand firm,\u201d as long as the regime in Minsk keeps supporting Russian aggression in Ukraine and carrying out hybrid attacks. \u201cCivil and democratic forces of Belarus need our further support,\u201d it added<\/a>, urging the international community to keep up pressure on Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and his officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk continues its repressive policies, including transnational repression targeting Belarusians in exile, even six years after the contested election, the Latvian foreign ministry noted<\/a>. \u201cThe number of political prisoners continues to grow, while ever more people are arbitrarily designated as extremists,\u201d it said in a post on Facebook. \u201cLatvia stands with the people of Belarus in their pursuit of a free, democratic and sovereign Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 9, 2020, marked Belarus\u2019 presidential election, in which Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka was declared the winner with about 80 percent of the vote. Former presidential hopeful Cichano\u016dskaja disputed the Belarusian central election commission\u2019s official result, accusing \u0141uka\u0161enka of vote rigging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The election was followed by months of peaceful protests, but the government cracked down on demonstrators, who demanded a new, free and transparent poll and freedom for opposition leaders. Thousands were jailed, beaten and tortured and several demonstrators were killed by security forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Clock ticking on\u00a0Luka\u0161enka, Belarusians should be ready,\u00a0Cichano\u016dskaja\u00a0says<\/h3>\n
August 8, Pozirk. Change in Belarus is inevitable, and Belarusians can work to create the necessary window of opportunity and be ready to use it, Belarusian pro-democracy leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja said in her opening speech at the New Belarus Conference in Warsaw on August 8. "No matter how much [Alaksandar] Luka\u0161enka is photoshopped on [the …<\/div>\n \n