**Belarus Leader Threatens Internet Shutdown**
The leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has said that he might shut down the entire internet during the country’s 2025 presidential election. This is if protests similar to those in 2020 happen again.
Lukashenko made this statement at a university event on November 22. He claimed that shutting down the internet was necessary to protect the country’s stability in 2020, when protests broke out online and from abroad.
**Denying Violence Claims**
The Belarus leader also denied allegations of violence against protesters during the 2020 election. Despite reports of police brutality, Lukashenko said no one was hurt or beaten.
Lukashenko has been in power since 1994 and is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has long been accused of staging fake elections in Belarus.
**Background**
In 2020, opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya won the election with 60 percent of the vote, according to her supporters. However, Lukashenko maintained power. Mass protests broke out in Minsk, but were eventually stopped with Russia‘s help.
Over 50,000 people have been detained for political reasons since the 2020 election, according to Belarusian human rights group Viasna.
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