Please be advised: This event will premiere on this page at 12:00 p.m. EDT, Thursday, August 27.
Protesters took to the streets en masse in Belarus after a disputed August 9 election returned Alexander Lukashenko to a new presidential term, despite findings of ballot stuffing and falsifications by independent monitoring groups. The autocratic ruler has presided over the Eastern European country for 26 years, maintaining his authority through brutal repression, including the kidnapping, incarceration and torture of Belarusian opposition leaders and activists. The protests have grown despite arrests and attempted violent dispersal by security services.
Opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, exiled in neighboring Lithuania, has established in Belarus a broad-ranging Coordination Council demanding an end to Lukashenko’s rule and a fair election. Lukashenko, meanwhile, has sought the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin to maintain his grip on power.
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion with regional experts on the tense situation in Belarus and the future of the country’s government.
