Lukashenko is Sworn Into the Presidency Despite Ongoing Protests and Social Unrest

The secret ceremony was held six weeks after Lukashenko’s unappealable win in the election, causing a storm of protests and allegations that the process was fraudulent. In the presence of several MPs and army generals, Alexander Lukashenko placed his hand on a copy of the constitution and stated that "The day in which the president takes office, the day of the inauguration, is the day of our joint victory – a convincing and momentous victory." 

International Community Condemns Violence Against Demonstrators

Lukashenko’s victory provoked weeks of mass demonstrations demanding rightful elections. The protesters chanted outside some universities carrying signature red-and-white opposition flags and demanding the President's resignation.

Meanwhile, the United States and European Union have echoed the sentiment of a rigged election and compose sanctions against officials involved in the voting process and the ensuing violent clampdown by the security forces.

Last week, the United Nations also agreed to increase its tracking of reported human rights abuses in Belarus, with rights investigator Anais Marin pointing out that more than 10,000 people had been "abusively arrested" since the election, with over 500 reports of torture and thousands "savagely beaten."

Alexander Lukashenko has governed the country since 1994, taking power right after the fall of the former Soviet Union in 1992. He is known for his charisma, trademark mustache, eccentricities, and self-promotion as a "man of the people."