Overview
- Lukashenko told Time magazine he does not plan to run again when his current term ends in 2030 and he rejected rumors that his 20-year-old son Nikolai is being positioned as his successor.
- He urged that his eventual successor maintain stability and avoid abrupt changes to Belarus’s political system to prevent any revolutionary breakdown.
- The regime has freed several hundred people convicted of extremism and other political offenses since mid-2024 but human rights groups say nearly 1,200 individuals remain detained.
- Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom released a joint statement on August 9 condemning Belarus’s ongoing repression and demanding the immediate, unconditional release of over 1,100 political prisoners.
- Belarus continues to host Russian military exercises on its territory and support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, deepening Minsk’s isolation from Western nations.