Baltics, Nordics: Belarusian leader 'lacks democratic legitimacy' after 'elections'

A joint statement issued by the eight Nordic and Baltic countries said Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko "continues to lack any democratic legitimacy" after "sham" presidential elections were held on Sunday.
On Sunday, in elections labled a "charade" and a "sham" by Estonian and European politicians, Lukashenko won another term in office. He has been in power since 1994.
Lukashenko faced no "serious" candidates, the BBC reported. Opposition candidates are in jail or exile.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the "sham election" was "neither free nor fair." "
"The people of Belarus deserve a real say in who governs their country," the former Estonian prime minister wrote on social media.
The NB8 said it statement was issued in support of Kallas' comments to the Belarusian people.
Today's sham election in Belarus was neither free nor fair.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) January 26, 2025
The people of Belarus deserve a real say in who governs their country.
On this so-called 'election day', I'm hosting @Tsihanouskaya with EU Foreign Ministers to reaffirm our support for a free and democratic Belarus. pic.twitter.com/kr20I4GnAU
"The Nordic-Baltic countries continue to support the democratic right of the Belarusian people to choose their leaders through free and fair elections. This requires rule of law, political pluralism, and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms as genuine democratic preconditions," they wrote.
"None of this is, regretfully, observed in today's Belarus. Instead, the relentless and unprecedented level of repression, including arbitrary detention and torture, mass human rights violations, severe restrictions to political participation for opponents of the regime and highly restricted access to independent media have deprived the process that took place today of any legitimacy. This is also reflected in the decision of the Belarus' authorities to invite the OSCE ODIHR mission only 10 days beforehand."
"A. Lukashenko continues to lack any democratic legitimacy," the statement concluded.

The Nordic-Baltic countries said they stand in solidarity with the Belarusian people "who strive for a free, democratic, sovereign and independent Belarus."
"A future democratic Belarus has a place in the European family. Our countries will continue to support the tireless efforts of the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and independent Belarusian civil society both inside and outside Belarus," the statement said.
They also "strongly" urged for the "immediate and unconditional" release of political prisoners in Belarus, of which there are over 1,200.
The NB8 includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden.
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Editor: Helen Wright