France says presidential election in Belarus “deprived of any legitimacy”

That’s according to a statement by the foreign ministry’s spokesperson, available to Ukrinform.

“Based on all available reports, France believes these elections will not meet democratic standards. The unprecedented level of repression, human rights viations, restrictions on participation in pitical life and access to independent media deprive these elections of any legitimacy,” the statement said.

France also regrets that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Parliamentary Assembly received a belated invitation to observe the elections, “which shows the lack of a real willingness on the part of the authorities to allow them to observe the electoral process.”

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In the presidential election on Sunday, January 26, Alexander Lukashenko is expected to win in a landslide to remain in power for a seventh consecutive term since 1994.

Over the years of his reign, Lukashenko has suppressed several waves of protest against his regime, including mass demonstrations against electoral fraud in the 2020 vote. Tens of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets after the latest election, which led to arrests and subsequent long prison terms for regime ponents, journalists, and activists.

According to rights watchdogs, there are over 1,200 pitical prisoners still held in Belarus, often without access to a lawyer or the portunity to communicate with families.

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As Ukrinform reported, early voting in the so-called presidential elections has begun in Belarus, which will last through January 25.