Polling stations opened in Belarus on Sunday for a presidential election where long-standing leader Alexander Lukashenko is anticipated to secure a seventh term. This election marks the first since the widespread protests against his regime in 2020, which followed allegations of electoral fraud.
Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994, faces four candidates who are largely viewed as loyalists, lacking genuine opposition. Voter turnout began at 8am local time (05:00 GMT), with many Belarusians who fled the country since 2020 unable to participate due to the cancellation of voting abroad.
In the lead-up to the election, Lukashenko emphasized his control, stating that there would be no repeat of the 2020 protests. The opposition, alongside Western nations, has labeled the election a farce, with the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, describing it as lacking legitimacy.
The political landscape in Belarus remains tense, with over 1,000 political prisoners reported since the 2020 protests, including prominent figures like Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski. The United Nations estimates that around 300,000 Belarusians have left the country, primarily seeking refuge in neighboring Poland and Lithuania.