About: authoritarian regime
Tens of thousands march in Belarus despite police threat to open fire
Belarusian police on Sunday (18 October) detained more than 200 people as tens of thousands marched against strongman Alexander Lukashenko in defiance of police threats to open fire after weeks of demonstrations.
Thailand bans protests as challenge to establishment escalates
Thailand’s government banned protests and police arrested at least three protest leaders on Thursday (15 October) in the face of escalating demonstrations targeting King Maha Vajiralongkorn as well as Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader.
Belarus allows police to use combat weapons as protests persist
Belarus police will now be permitted to use combat weapons in the streets if needed, the Interior Ministry said, as security forces again clashed with protesters who want President Alexander Lukashenko to quit after a contested 9 August election.
Police in Belarus crack down on protesters, detain dozens
Security forces in Belarus detained dozens of protesters on Sunday (11 October) and used force, including water cannon and batons, to break up crowds demanding a new presidential election, TV footage showed.
European Parliament: Lukashenko should not be recognised as Belarus president
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko should no longer be recognised as president from November when his term expires, the European Parliament said on Thursday (17 September), calling for European Union economic sanctions to be imposed on him.
Baltic states ban Lukashenko amid crackdown on opposition
The Baltic states on Monday (31 August) banned embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as he cracked down further on the opposition movement following another huge rally at the weekend.
EU says Belarus restrictions on foreign media ‘not acceptable’
The EU criticised “arbitrary restrictions” on foreign media after Belarusian authorities on Saturday (29 August) withdrew the accreditation of journalists working for several foreign news organisations, ahead of the latest demonstration challenging the results of the presidential election.
Belarus opens criminal case into effort to ‘seize power’
Belarus opened a criminal investigation into attempts by the opposition to "seize power" on Thursday (20 August) as strongman Alexander Lukashenko moved to assert his authority after days of protests over a disputed election.
Tens of thousands rally in Belarus against post-vote crackdown
Tens of thousands of Belarusians staged a wave of peaceful protests on Thursday (13 August) against President Alexander Lukashenko's disputed re-election and an ensuing brutal police crackdown.
Belarus starts to release prisoners as EU weighs sanctions
Belarusian authorities on Thursday (13 August) began releasing some of the thousands of people detained in a crackdown by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko that has prompted the European Union to consider imposing sanctions.
EU says Belarus vote not free, threatens sanctions
The European Union declared Tuesday (11 August) that the Belarus presidential election that returned authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko to office had been "neither free nor fair".
Poland calls for extraordinary EU summit following tainted Belarus election
Poland on Monday (10 August) called for an emergency European Union summit on the situation in Belarus after clashes in the night in Minsk following a disputed presidential election.
Europe must not allow Lukashenko to continue his manipulations
The EU must shape at least two different policies towards Belarus - one for the regime that stole the elections and one for the civil society, writes Urmas Paet.
Belarus police crackdown on mass protests against strongman president after election
Belarus police fired water cannons, tear gas and stun grenades in a crackdown on protests that erupted on Sunday (9 August) as President Alexander Lukashenko was set to claim another election win in the face of the biggest challenge in years to his grip on power.
Rising star shakes up Belarus strongman’s re-election bid
Belarus holds presidential polls on Sunday (9 August) with a novice opposition candidate posing the greatest challenge in years to long-ruling strongman Alexander Lukashenko.
Belarus leader claims opposition ‘massacre’ plot ahead of vote
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday (4 August) accused the opposition and Russia of planning violent unrest and vowed to defend his regime as early voting began in presidential elections.
The dictatorship next door: Why Serbia’s regime threatens Europe’s credibility
Many European governments and institutions continue to tolerate the regime of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić despite its descent into autocracy, writes Vuk Jeremić.
Top Hungary news site says independence in ‘grave danger’
The editor of Hungary's most popular news website warned Sunday (21 June) that a planned overhaul would jeopardise its freedom to publish stories critical of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government.
Orbán urges end to EU sanctions on Belarus
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán urged the European Union to drop sanctions against Belarus as he met the ex-Soviet state's strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Friday (5 June).
Von der Leyen warns against democratic backsliding without mentioning Hungary
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned on Tuesday (31 March) that coronavirus emergency measures by EU countries must be "limited", in a veiled reference to Hungary's nationalist leader Viktor Orbán, who used the pandemic to take on sweeping powers.
Coronavirus to father EU’s ‘first dicatatorship’?
A "dictatorship" at the heart of the EU? A draft law to grant anti-coronavirus emergency measures set for adoption by Budapest has alarmed observers who fear it will hand Prime Minister Viktor Orbán unlimited power.
Putin approves changes allowing him to stay in power until 2036
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (10 March) opened the door to constitutional changes that would allow him to remain in power until 2036, but said he favored term limits once the country became politically “mature”.
More secrets of China’s Xinjiang camps leaked to foreign media
Classified Chinese government documents made public by an international group of journalists describe the repressive inner workings of detention camps in Xinjiang, in a second rare leak in days of secret files concerning the troubled western region.