President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, declared this Sunday February 25 that he would run for his own succession next year. Announcement made on the day of legislative elections described as a sham by an opposition in exile and bloodless after years of repression.
After his much-maligned re-election in 2020, the Belarusian leader cracked down on unprecedented opposition protests, throwing hundreds in prison and forcing thousands into exile. Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, whose husband is in prison, called Sunday's vote a sham.