Lukashenko clashes with BBC reporter over election integrity

Alexander Lukashenko reportedly received 88 percent of the votes in the "presidential elections." The Belarusian opposition and Western countries do not recognise Sunday's elections as democratic, and the previous ones were also strongly criticised on the international stage.

The "elections" occurred without alternative independent candidates to Lukashenko, without independent media, and with repressive actions from the authorities, including against the families of opposition members.

After casting his vote in the "elections," Lukashenko held a four-hour press conference during which questions were asked by media representatives favourable to his regime, as well as by foreign media.

BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg, who lives in Moscow, is well-known to Lukashenko. His questions have often angered the Belarusian leader. On Sunday, when the BBC journalist took the floor, Lukashenko asked him, "What kind of miserable question have you prepared for me?" "Good morning," replied the journalist. The press representatives and the president burst out laughing, and then the president said, "Good morning, Steve."

"How can these elections be called democratic when our fiercest opponents and rivals are in prison or in exile?" Rosenberg asked. "Some are in prison, and some are in exile, but you are here," Lukashenko replied threateningly. "Everyone has the right to choose. This is democratic. Some chose prison, others exile. We didn't force anyone to leave this country; we opened it. I've already said five times that we don't hold grudges; we're not spiteful. Everyone will get a chance," he added.

He then threatened: "I'll be honest with you, Steve, if you broke the law, you wouldn't be sitting here. You probably wouldn't have come here." The journalist calmly returned to his question and referred to Lukashenko's earlier statement. "But you said a few days ago that 'we mustn't silence anyone.' You said that," Rosenberg pointed out.

With each subsequent word, Lukashenko became more furious. "Absolutely not. I won't silence you. I said we would build our country and won't allow anyone to silence us," he explained. But your main rivals were not only barred from the elections; some of them ended up in prison," Rosenberg responded, noting that there are more than 1,200 political prisoners in Belarusian prisons.

"Wait, we released quite a few," Lukashenko protested. "There used to be 1,200." When Rosenberg replied that "it's still that number," the leader again stated that the number had decreased. "If you subtract more than 200, what do you get? Didn’t you go to school?" Lukashenko scoffed. "I mean, since no one should be silenced, maybe it's time to open the cells and release the political prisoners," Rosenberg said. He directly referred to peaceful protesters, Maria Kalesnikava, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for allegedly threatening to overthrow the government, and Sergei Tikhanovsky, a YouTuber who received 18 years for organising mass protests.

Increasingly enraged, Lukashenko shouted: "My God!" but promised to answer the question. "Are you talking about silencing or imprisoning people? Silencing is one thing, but prison is for people who opened their mouths too wide. Who broke the law. That's natural. You ask me anything you want, and I say what I want. Don't exaggerate, Steve," he warned.

"In every country, if you break the law, you have to take responsibility. The law is harsh, but it is still the law. I didn't make this up," added the agitated leader.