TALLINN, Estonia — Sunday’s tightly controlled parliamentary and local elections in Belarus are set to cement the hard-line rule of the country’s authoritarian leader, despite a prominent opposition leader’s call for a boycott. “Detentions, arrests and searches are taking place during the vote.” Speaking during Tuesday’s meeting with top Belarusian law enforcement officials, Lukashenko alleged without offering evidence that Western …
TALLINN, Estonia — A top trans-Atlantic security and rights watchdog has criticized Belarus’ refusal to allow the group to observe its parliamentary vote, saying that it defies the country’s international obligations. Matteo Mecacci, the director of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said that Belarus’ refusal “will prevent the country’s citizens and institutions from benefiting from an …
TALLINN, Estonia — Belarusian authorities on Monday said they will not invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor the country’s parliamentary and local elections, scheduled for Feb. 25. This year’s election will take place amid continued repressions and as some 1,500 political prisoners remain behind bars, including leaders of opposition parties and renowned human …