Exiled Belarusians commemorated the death of 31-year-old protester Raman Bandarenka, who was killed during a brutal crackdown on demonstrations against authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Minsk in 2020.
Belarusian Émigrés Hold Memorial To Slain Protester
People pay tribute to Raman Bandarenka near the Belarusian Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 12.
Bandarenka, a peaceful protestor and artist, was beaten up by masked men before being taken into police custody in Minsk. He died the following day, November 12, 2020.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell released a statement noting that "his death was never investigated and no charges were brought against those responsible for it."
Belarusians light candles in memory of Bandarenka, who had joined the mass protests after it was announced in August 2020 that Alyaksandr Lukashenka had been reelected president. The election result was widely condemned as falsified.
Security forces cracked down hard on the demonstrators, arresting thousands, and leading many people to flee the country.
Human rights organizations have presented detailed evidence of torture being used against some of those detained in the crackdown on the protests.
Lukashenka, who has held power in Belarus since 1994, has denied any wrongdoing with regard to the election and refuses to negotiate with the opposition.
The EU, the United States, Canada, and other countries have refused to recognize Lukashenka, 66, as the legitimate leader of Belarus and have slapped him and senior Belarusian officials with sanctions.
A Belarusian flag with the coat of arms and the name of the town of Zhlobin is displayed during the vigil.
Lukashenka's crackdown was backed by the Kremlin, and he subsequently allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.