DISINFO: Protests in Belarus would not have happened without external pressure and influence
SUMMARY
The reason for the current internal political events in the country is outside influence. The situation in Belarus is not without challenges, but the main reason for the situation is external. Had there been no external pressure and influence, it would never have happened in Belarus. The western partners of Belarus “have become too active, have gone too far” in relation to the country.
RESPONSE
This is part of an ongoing Russian disinformation campaign on Belarus based on recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, such as accusing other countries of interference and portraying popular protests against electoral fraud in the country as a Western-led colour revolution. There is no evidence that the protests in Belarus are funded and organised externally and that any Western country was trying to destabilise the situation or create a coup in Belarus. The protests in Belarus erupted to contest the results of the presidential elections in Belarus that took place on the 9 August, which are considered fraudulent by a large part of Belarusian society. The European Union has also stated that the elections were neither free nor fair. The European Council imposed restrictive measures against 40 individuals identified as responsible for repression and intimidation against peaceful demonstrators, opposition members and journalists in the wake of the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, as well as for misconduct of the electoral process. Read similar disinformation cases: The Baltic States and Poland are blowing Belarus up from the inside, Ukrainian militants are staying in Belarus to carry out a coup d'etat, in Belarus, there are signs of a colour revolution, but hybrid one, and Poland and Lithuania directly sponsor open extremist actions against Belarus.