{"id":122467,"date":"2025-01-20T14:39:17","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T11:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122467\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"swiss-far-right-troublemaker-to-observe-belarus-election","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122467\/","title":{"rendered":"Swiss far-right \u201ctroublemaker\u201d to observe Belarus’ election"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n
\n (unsplash.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 20, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>Swiss nationals Eric Weber, Patrik Kretz and Wilhelm Wyss will observe the upcoming Belarusian presidential election scheduled for January 21-26, Switzerland’s Blick<\/em> reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weber described as a \u201cpolitical troublemaker\u201d of the Swiss far-right, had been reportedly invited by Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ry\u017canko\u016d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weber has been criticized in Switzerland as a supporter of German National Socialism and is being investigated for election fraud after being convicted of the same offense in 2014. In November 2016, a judge acquitted activist J\u00fcrgen Saalfrank, against whom Weber filed a lawsuit for calling him a Nazi, TagesWoche <\/em>reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judge argued that the defender proved that Weber had a sympathy for German National Socialism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man had been to Belarus and met Swiss Ambassador Christine Honegger Zolotukhin in Minsk last summer, according to Blick<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kretz and Wyss represent the right-wing populist Swiss People’s Party. One year ago, they tried to “whitewash” the Belarusian parliamentary election where both were invited as observers, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Swiss foreign ministry told Blick<\/em> that it had nothing to do with the invitation of the three Swiss politicians to observe the presidential election in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus\u2019s seventh presidential poll is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a crackdown on regime critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five bidders are Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, in power since 1994, his supporters Aleh Hajdukievi\u010d, Alaksandar Chi\u017eniak, Siarhiej Syranko\u016d as well as former MP Hanna Kanapackaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian opposition dismissed the election as a sham, noting that political reprisals prevent pro-democracy candidates from running and voters from freely expressing their will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"
\n

Putin wishes \u0141uka\u0161enka success in upcoming presidential election<\/h3>\n
January 19, Pozirk. The Kremlin reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has wished Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka success in the upcoming presidential election. In a telephone conversation, Putin congratulated \u0141uka\u0161enka on the feast day of Epiphany. The Russian president "conveyed his best …<\/div>\n \n