On March 25, Alexander Lukashenko marked the beginning of his seventh term as Belarusian president, after declaring himself the victor of the widely disputed January elections, which were criticized for lacking fairness and freedom. In his inauguration speech at the Independence Palace in Minsk, Lukashenko stated that Belarus follows its own standards for elections, which he claimed could set an international example.

According to the Belarusian Election Commission, Lukashenko “won” with 86.82% of the vote, a result that placed him far ahead of little-known and regime-backed candidates, including Sergey Syrankov with 3.21% and Oleg Gaidukevich with 2.02%. Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, has long maintained an iron grip on the country, suppressing political opposition, independent media, and civil society.

During his address, Lukashenko asserted that while Belarus allows its citizens to express their opinions, it will not tolerate freedom of speech being used to harm the nation. However, the day before the inauguration, 10 Belarusian human rights organizations issued a joint statement condemning the elections and Lukashenko’s continued rule. They described the vote as taking place amid a severe human rights crisis, where fear and repression against independent media, the opposition, and dissenters were rampant.

In 2020, Lukashenko similarly claimed victory in elections that independent polls suggested were won by his opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. That election sparked mass protests, which were met with a violent crackdown and widespread arrests. Lukashenko’s regime has also maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing Russian forces to use Belarus as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine, including missile strikes launched from its territory.