{"id":3029,"date":"2020-12-19T15:23:56","date_gmt":"2020-12-19T15:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=141332"},"modified":"2020-12-19T15:23:56","modified_gmt":"2020-12-19T15:23:56","slug":"protests-continue-in-belarus-demanding-end-to-authoritarian-lukashenka-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2020\/12\/19\/protests-continue-in-belarus-demanding-end-to-authoritarian-lukashenka-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"Protests Continue In Belarus Demanding End To Authoritarian Lukashenka Rule"},"content":{"rendered":"
People marched and rallied in Minsk and elsewhere in Belarus on December 19 as demonstrations demanding that Alyaksandr Lukashenka step down entered day 133.<\/p>\n
Belarus has been rocked by protests since August 9 when Lukashenka, in power since 1994, was declared the winner of the country\u2019s presidential election, a vote many Belarusians and others charge was rigged and actually won by opposition challenger Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya.<\/p>\n
Since then, some 28,000 Belarusians have been detained, hundreds beaten on the streets and in detention — with many cases considered torture — and several killed in the regime\u2019s crackdown.<\/p>\n
The United States and European Union refuse to recognize Lukashenka, 66, as the legitimate ruler and have slapped sanctions on him and other officials held responsible for the voter fraud and post-election crackdown.<\/p>\n