Belarusian presidential election

Only those who have permanent residence permits in a foreign country are allowed to leave the country. The opposition assessed it as "an absolute violation of the law".

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had secured a pledge from Russia to provide comprehensive assistance if needed to ensure the security of his country in a phone call with President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15.   

Sunday's presidential election giving Lukashenko a sixth term in office was, like all but one since 1994, deemed by the EU to have been neither free nor fair. Despite a strong challenge from former teacher Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the autocratic president implausibly won 80% of the vote.

Protesters formed human chains and marched through the streets of Belarus carrying flowers on Aug. 12 in anger at a crackdown by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko that has prompted the European Union to consider new sanctions against Minsk.    

It is the second day in a row that people have demonstrated, angry at the results of Sunday's presidential vote. Security services claim to have foiled an attempt to assassinate the president's main election rival.

The use of the death penalty in Belarus does not allow the country to be a member of the European Council. This was stated yesterday by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen after a meeting in Vienna with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, TASS reported.

The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) formally opened its election observation mission in Turkey on May 24 for the snap presidential and parliamentary elections to take place on June 24.

The European Union agreed on Oct. 12 to suspend sanctions against the regime of Belarussian strongman Alexander Lukashenko after he won a fifth term as president, even though observers said the poll was flawed. 

EU foreign ministers have agreed on a provisional commitment to a four-month lifting of sanctions imposed on Belarus.

Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko has denied reports that his country might host a Russian military base.

Setting up an Air Force base in Belarus was never an issue between Lukashenko and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, BELTA agency quotes him as saying.