Belarus in crisis

Alexander Lukashenko declared a landslide victory in presidential polls on August 9. According to the official count, the 65-year-old won 80% of the votes while his main challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, got only 10%. Lukashenko's opponents accuse him of rigging the vote to secure a sixth term after 26 years in power.

After the results were announced, Belarusians took to the streets to demand an election rerun monitored by independent observers. Security forces responded with a brutal crackdown. The violence, which Lukashenko blamed on foreign interference, was widely condemned internationally, prompting the EU to prepare sanctions against implicated Belarusian officials.

In the first four days of protests, at least two people died and almost 7,000 were detained. But rather than peter out, rallies calling for Lukashenko's resignation have grown. Thousands of protesters have joined daily marches demanding the release of political prisoners and an end to police violence.

More than 100,000 people took part in a "March for Freedom" on August 16 — one of the biggest ever shows of opposition to Lukashenko's rule. Protesters chanted "Leave!," and waved the red and white historic Belarusian flag that has become a common sight at rallies. Lukashenko scrapped the flag when he came to power, and it has since become a symbol of opposition to him.

Lukashenko's supporters held a rally of their own on August 16, although their numbers were dwarfed by the opposition's march. "I'm for Lukashenko," 68-year-old supporter Alla Georgievna told Reuters. "I don't understand why everyone has risen up against him. We get our pensions and salaries on time thanks to him."

Workers in state-owned industries, considered to be Lukashenko's traditional support base, have started turning against him. Thousands of factory workers took part in walkouts after the opposition called a general strike. Footage from August 17 that was widely shared on social media showed workers at a Minsk tractor plant heckling Lukashenko with shouts of "Leave!" as he tried to give a speech.

Several hundred journalists, camera operators and other employees at Belarusian state broadcaster BT also walked off the job. Local media said staff had issued demands urging management to end censorship and recognize the election results as invalid. During the strike, "Belarus 1" TV broadcast an empty studio with music playing the background.

Soon after the protests began, opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled to neighboring Lithuania, citing threats to her safety. In exile, she has renewed calls for fresh elections and said she is "ready to take responsibility and act as a national leader." Lukashenko, meanwhile, has conceded that new polls would be possible — but only after amending the constitution.