According to Euroradio.fm, former detainees convicted under “political” charges have been asked to provide written commitments refraining from any activities aimed at “a forceful change of the constitutional order, seizure, or retention of power using unconstitutional methods.”

The summons target individuals who have previously served or are still serving sentences under politically motivated restrictions.

It remains unclear what specific actions authorities intend to curb, but the warnings suggest an ongoing attempt to restrict any perceived opposition.

This pre-election strategy marks a continuation of repressive measures in Belarus since the widely criticized presidential election in 2020, which Western countries have declared fraudulent.

Following that election, under President Aleksandr Lukashenko opposition figures and democratic activists were either imprisoned or forced into exile, unable to openly participate in Belarus’s political process.

The Belarusian democratic opposition, operating primarily from abroad, has condemned the upcoming election as a “non-election,” denouncing it as a sham designed to perpetuate Lukashenko’s hold on power.

The new presidential elections are to be held on January 26, 2025.

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