NextFin news, On August 9, 2020, Belarus experienced its largest protests in history following a presidential election widely regarded as fraudulent, which declared Alexander Lukashenko the winner of a sixth term. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets to protest electoral fraud and the violent crackdown by security forces. The protests were met with mass arrests, torture, and systematic repression by the government.
Since then, the Lukashenko regime has intensified its authoritarian rule, holding over 1,300 political prisoners and forcing more than 500,000 Belarusians to flee the country. Independent media and civil society organizations have been banned or dismantled, and opposition leaders have been imprisoned or exiled. The opposition remains fragmented and largely unable to influence domestic affairs.
Internationally isolated by Western sanctions in response to human rights abuses and Belarus’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Minsk has deepened its political, economic, and military ties with Moscow. Belarus hosts Russian tactical nuclear weapons and is preparing for deployment of new Russian missile systems under a security pact that places the country under Russia’s nuclear umbrella.
In January 2025, Lukashenko secured a seventh term in a presidential election widely dismissed as a sham, with official results showing him winning 86.82 percent of the vote amid little opposition activity due to repression and exile of dissenters. The Kremlin has publicly supported Lukashenko’s continued rule, reinforcing Belarus’s alignment with Russia.
Belarus has become a military stronghold for Russia, posing strategic concerns for neighboring NATO countries. Meanwhile, some Belarusians oppose the regime by fighting alongside Ukraine in units such as the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, formed in 2022 to resist Russian aggression.
Artistic and cultural activism by Belarusian exiles continues to preserve memories of the 2020 protests and promote democratic ideals abroad, despite severe repression at home. The Lukashenko government maintains a state narrative glorifying Soviet history and Russian ties, while suppressing alternative historical perspectives and commemorations of past political repression.
Overall, the events since 2020 have consolidated Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime, increased Belarus’s dependence on Russia, and led to ongoing political repression and international isolation.
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