Belarus: Opposition groups to rally in Soligorsk and Slutsk on August 4 /update 8

Event

Political campaign rallies for opposition presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya have been planned in Soligorsk and Slutsk for Tuesday, August 4. The rally in Slutsk will occur outside the City Youth Center, where participants will gather from 17:30 (local time). Another rally is planned at the Stroitel Stadium in Soligorsk from 19:30. A heightened security presence, as well as localized disruption to transportation, should be anticipated in the vicinity of the rallies.

Further protests and rallies are likely in the run-up to the Belarusian presidential election.

Context

Police have detained several hundred anti-government demonstrators over the past few weeks in efforts to quell anti-government sentiment prior to the election. The majority of Lukashenko's political rivals are either in detention or under investigation. The barring of the two main rivals - Valery Tsepkalo and Viktor Babariko - makes Lukashenko's chances of remaining in power all the more likely; he has been in power for 26 years.

Advice

Individuals in Belarus are advised to monitor the situation, avoid all large public gatherings as a precaution, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments, and refrain from discussing political topics in public or on social media.