Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a bilateral meeting with his Belarusian colleague Alexander Lukashenko, TASS reported.
The Russian leader will present Lukashenko with the “Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called” order.
A representative of the Kremlin noted that the meeting of the presidents “will be held in the context of the CIS summit”, which took place in Moscow on October 8, and will be a continuation of the communication of the leaders that began on the evening of October 7 , when Putin gathered the leaders of the CIS countries for informal communication.
The two leaders see each other regularly and often talk on the phone. This meeting will be the eighth of the year.
In a congratulatory telegram on his birthday, which Putin sent to Lukashenko on August 30, the Russian head of state noted that he “sincerely appreciates the good friendly relations that have fully stood the test of time”.
The highest Russian award was awarded to the head of Belarus by decree of Putin on August 30 - on that day Lukashenko celebrated his 70th anniversary. He was awarded “for outstanding services in the development of relations of alliance and strategic partnership“ between Russia and Belarus, as well as for merits in “strengthening friendly ties between the Russian and Belarusian people” and personal contribution to the creation and effective operation of a union state.
Belarusian authorities have announced that they have opened new criminal investigations against dozens of opposition activists, the Associated Press reported, citing BTA.
The investigations are part of the large-scale crackdown on dissent ahead of next year's upcoming presidential vote, in which Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 30 years, intends to run for a seventh consecutive term, the agency notes.
After Lukashenko's previous re-election in 2020, which was perceived not only at home but also abroad as falsified, he responded to the wave of mass protests with brutal repression, during which more than 65,000 people were detained, indicates AP.
According to the human rights group "Vyasna" About 1,300 people are currently behind bars as political prisoners, including the group's founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Białacki.
The Investigative Committee, Belarus' state criminal investigation agency, announced it had opened new criminal investigations against 22 opposition activists on charges of alleged involvement in a "plot to seize power" and against 23 other persons accused of creating an "extremist group" in connection with its activity. The activists, most of whom have fled Belarus, have had their homes and apartments confiscated, as well as other assets, and face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
The new criminal investigations follow the actions of activists who are trying to coordinate the opposition ahead of next year's presidential vote and prepare the ground for future democratic reforms. In August, Belarusian opposition activists organized rallies in several countries.
Hundreds of thousands have fled Belarus due to the brutal crackdown on protests after the 2020 elections. The human rights group "Vyasna" said that at least 66 opposition activists who had returned to Belarus had been convicted on politically motivated charges. Some of the others who returned to the country were forcibly sent to psychiatric clinics for compulsory treatment.