The Foundation for Assistance of Democratic Initiatives held an expert discussion on the events in Belarus “Free Belarus”.
Participants in the discussion:
- Ales Lahvinets, political scientist, public figure.
- Nataliya Kharytaniuk, protester, Minsk.
- Syargey Lisichonak, protester, public figure, Minsk.
- Aliaksandr Streltsov, protester, public figure.
Moderated by Yuriy Mindyuk, director of the Foundation for Assistance of Democratic Initiatives.
Issues discussed:
- Why did the protests take place in Belarus after 26 years of Lukashenka’s rule? What was the impetus for such seemingly impossible events?
- What are the prospects for protest in Belarus? What are the protesters trying to achieve? Is it just the release of political prisoners and fair re-elections or something else?
- The phenomenon of Telegram channels, namely NEXTA, as protest leaders.
- Who can lead the country if Lukashenka is removed? In which direction will the country go in this case?
- There are accounts in Ukraine that Moscow is at least helping and directing the protest in Belarus, and possibly controlling it. Is this possible, and if so, what objectives is it pursuing?