Belarus: Media Dissidences in the Face of Authoritarianism
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Despite Lukashenko’s best efforts at crushing dissent, the myriad creative underground tactics put in place by protestors, and the endurance of their resistance in the year and a half since the 2020 election evince the will of the Belarusian people to stand up to Lukashenko’s authoritarianism. These new forms of protest—unavailable in previous waves of unrest—may mark hope for more durable and widespread dissidence in the future.
6. International Responses to the Lukashenko Regime The Lukashenko regime’s increasing brutality and repression in the aftermath of the 2020 election has been met with political condemnation from the United States and the European Union (EU). The Council of the European Union concluded that it “deeply regrets” the Belarusian authorities’ lack of respect for its people’s “fundamental freedoms and human rights.”69 Current U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken made the U.S.’s position against the Lukashenko regime clear, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian plight and reminding the world that “nearly all independent media outlets are shuttered, and Belarusian authorities are attempting to silence NGOs and civil society using fabricated ‘extremism’ charges.” 70 On December 2, 2021, the U.S., Canada, the EU and the United Kingdom released a joint statement outlining coordinated sanctions that targeted 183 individuals and 26 entities, including Belarusian sovereign debt in primary and secondary markets. The statement called for the regime to release the political prisoners and implement the recommendations of the Organization for
Council of the European Union, Council Conclusions on Belarus, 11661/20, Brussels: European Council, 2020, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/46076/council-conclusions-on-belarus.pdf. 70 Antony J. Blinken, “Accountability for the Lukashenko Regime’s Continued Acts of Repression and Disregard for International Norms,” U.S. Department of State, December 2, 2021, https://www.state.gov/accountability-for-the-lukashenka-regimes-continued-acts-of-repression-and-disregard-for-int ernational-norms/. 69
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