Belarus leader signs law to grant him immunity from prosecution
- 5 January, 23:02
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a law granting him lifelong immunity from criminal prosecution and preventing opposition leaders living abroad from running in presidential elections in the future.
The immunity applies to any former president as well as members of his or her family.
Lukashenko, 69-year-old, has been ruling Belarus for 30 years. The law seems to be aimed at strengthening Lukashenko’s grip of power and eliminating potential rivals in the future elections that will take place in 2025. Furthermore, the law tightens requirements for presidential candidates, making it impossible for opposition leaders who have fled to neighbouring countries to run for president. According to the new law, only citizens of Belarus who have permanently resided in the country for at least 20 year will be able to participate in presidential elections in the future.
Commenting on the new law, opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said it testified to Lukashenko’s “fear of an inevitable future”.
“Lukashenko, who ruined the fates of thousands of Belarusians, will be punished according to international law, and no immunity will protect him against this, it’s only a matter of time,” Tsikhanouskaya said.
Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania in 2020 after mass protests that rocked Belarus after Lukashenko’s re-election in August 2020 for a sixth term in an election that was deemed as fraudulent by the West. Belarusian authorities detained more than 35,000 protesters, many of whom were tortured in custody.
