Łukašenka defends 2020 crackdown in Easter address

April 12, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has stressed the importance of “peace and harmony” in Belarus since 2020 in his Easter address to parishioners of one of the Orthodox churches in the Mahiloŭ region’s Škłoŭ district, his press office reports.
“There have been no wars or conflicts for several years now, since 2020, and this is our people’s greatest achievement,” it quoted the politician as saying.
Belarus has “put in place all the conditions necessary for people to work and live with dignity,” he added. “That is how it will be in our Belarus. Those who work hard and want to live a decent life will get what they deserve.”
“As a man of the countryside, I believe help should be given where it is needed. Once we start helping where it isn’t, we become different people,” Łukašenka added, without elaborating.
Earlier today, the politician, who once called himself an “orthodox atheist,” published an Easter message on his official website.
Orthodoxy remains the most influential religion in Belarus, as the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church runs 1,737 parishes, which account for more than 50 percent of all registered communities.
At least 93 priests of various denominations have faced some form of reprisals in Belarus between the fall of 2020 and March 2026, including 37 Catholic priests, 31 Protestants, 20 Orthodox and five Greek Catholics, according to Chryścijanskaja Vizija initiative.
Reprisals: police arrest nearly all staff of ZROBIM architects
- Politics, SecurityBelarus’ air defense relies on AI to detect stray drones – military officialThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics, SocietyIrregular Belarus-Lithuania crossings hit four-month highThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsParliamentary speaker holds talks on military cooperation in MyanmarThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Society
- Politics, Society
- Politics, SocietyIrregular Belarus-Latvia crossings surge since start of AprilThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: police arrest nearly all staff of ZROBIM architectsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyCichanoŭskaja’s aide briefs Lithuanian authorities on woes facing Belarusian migrantsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Criminal cases opened against three farm managers over cow deathsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarus’ activists to stage events “for nuclear-free Belarus” on Chernobyl accident anniversaryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyWeather balloons with smuggled cigarettes spotted over PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityMigration pressure mounts on Latvia, LithuaniaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarus’ interior ministry adds 37 persons to list of extremistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyViasna denounces passport annulments as abuse of government powerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsŁukašenka receives credentials from envoys of Japan, North Korea, other countriesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyCore inflation slows to 6.4 percent in MarchThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBiełstat: consumer prices up 0.6 percent in MarchThe material is available only to POZIRK+



