White -Russian dictator Alexander Lukashenko struggled to conquer his irritation before snarling on Sunday at a BBC journalist, causing him to bravely grill him about his apparent election.
Discerned 'Europe's Last Dicator', Lukashenko will extend his 31-year rule over the country after the rigged elections, which he was re-elected with 86.8 percent of the votes.
Lukashenko allowed only four token candidates that he approved to have their names on the ballot, while his real opponents are locked up or in exile.
After casting his vote on election day, the president gave a four -hour press conference, with questions from media organizations that are friendly to his regime and foreign points of sale.
The Russian editor Steve Rosenberg of the BBC, whose questions ask the anger of the dictator and his ally Vladimir Putin, was warned by Lukashenko: 'Don't Overdo Ito, Steve'.
Their tense exchange started with an icy remark from Lukashenko, who asked Rosenberg: “What miserable question did you prepare for me?”
“Good morning,” the journalist replied, while members of the pressers laughed together with the president, who then said, “Good morning, Steve.”
“How can these elections be called democratic if you are fervent opponents and rivals in prison or in exile?” Asked Rosenberg.
“Some are in prison and some are in exile, but you are here,” Lukashenko replied threatening. 'Everyone has the right to choose. That is democratic. Some opted for a prison, others chose Exile. '
The Correspondent Steve Rosenberg of the BBC interviewed the Wit -Russian dictator at the press conference De Wit -Russian dictator
The Belarusian president gave a four-hour press conference after voting on election day
The banished opposition leader SviaTlanatsikhanouskaya from Witarus in Warsaw. She has condemned today's election as a 'farce'
He then said to Rosenberg: 'We have forced anyone from this country, which is more that we have opened the country.
“I have said five times that we don't turn a resort, we are not hateful. Everyone gets a chance. '
He then threatened: 'I will honestly tell you, Steve, if you had violated the law, you wouldn't be here. You would probably not have come here. '
Rosenberg brought the subject calmly back to his previous question, pointing to a comment from Lukashenko recently. “But you said a few days ago that” we don't have to close anyone. ” You said that. '
Lukashenko, who became more and more furious when he was still being challenged, said: “Absolutely not. I don't close your mouth … I said we will build our country and don't let anyone keep his mouth shut. '
“But your most important rivals are not only loved the mood, but some of them are in prison,” Rosenberg hit back. “Moreover, there are more than 1,200 political prisoners.”
“Wait a minute, we released a lot,” Lukashenko protested. “It used to be 1200.”
When Rosenberg replied that it is 'still that number', the dictator again claimed that it was reduced. 'If you subtract more than 200, what will you get? Did you not go to school? “He taunted.
“My point is that if nobody should close his mouth, it might be time to open the cells and release these political prisoners,” said Rosenberg.
He referred directly to peaceful demonstrators Maria Kalesnikava, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for threatening to overthrow the government, and Sergei Tikhanovsky, a YouTuber who had 18 years old to organize mass protests.
Members of a electoral committee empty a polls to count votes during the presidential elections in Minsk, Wit -Russia, on January 26
Lukashenko increasingly shouts irritated by the line of questions and shouts “My God!” But says he will answer the question.
'Are you talking about closing mouths or closing people in prison? Jumps are one thing, but the prison is for people who opened their mouths too wide. Who break the law. That is only of course. '
'You ask me what you want and I say what I want. Don't overdo it, Steve, “he warned.
'In every country if you violate the law, you must bear responsibility. The law is hard but it is still the law. It wasn't I thinking that. '
Lukashenko has ruled the former Soviet Republic with an iron fist that has been given power in 1994 for more than 30 years.
The 70-year-old apparently sailed into the victory in Sunday's vote, but the elections were convicted by the European Union as a sham display because of the lack of independent media in the country and the opposition candidates who remain loyal to Lukashenko.
The mood takes place five years after the 2020 turbulent elections, in which Lukashenko's grasp on power almost came loose after millions of citizens have flooded the street who condemned the result and demanded the president to take himself
A white -Russian opposition supporter kneels for the riot police in 2020. In response to months of protests, Lukashenko arrested 65,000 people and forced the opposition figures to flee abroad
Lukashenko said he couldn't care if the block recognized the results or not.
The mood takes place five years after the 2020 turbulent elections, in which Lukashenko's grabbed power almost came loose after millions of citizens have flooded the street who sentenced the result and demanded the president to decrease.
In response to months of protests, Lukashenko arrested 65,000 people and forced opposition figures to flee abroad.
This included the de facto leader of the opposition of Wit -Russia Svetlana Tikhanovskaya who stood against Lukashenko at the time.
Minsk and his ally Moscow have been suppressing freedom of expression and media freedom for decades, with their harsh in recent years increasingly brutally in the midst of political protests and the war in Ukraine.
In 2021, BBC colleague of Rosenberg Sarah Rainsford was driven out hours from Russia after he had interviewed Lukashenko about the torture and prison sentence of peaceful demonstrators.
Rosenberg has continued to challenge both Lukashenko and Putin
