18 July 2012

On Europe's Last Dictatorship

Belarus - A Prison For Those Who Live There

A very moving op-ed describing the situation in Belarus, written by Andrej Dynko, the editor in chief of Nasha Niva, a weekly newspaper in Belarus. The article is a poignant rebuttal to the false sense of hope regarding Belarus held by many in the EU government - Mr. Dynko points out how entrenched Lukashenko is in power. Dynko effectively criticizes the ineffectiveness of "symbolic acts" by pointing out how they fit into the dictator's methods of holding on to power. Further, Mr. Dynko makes a damning accusation by the end of the article - Belarus is merely a prison for 9 million people, with conditions in society reflecting that which political prisoners find in jail. A damning portrayal of a country which needs concerted change, quickly.

The article was written by Andrej Dynko, and translated by Julia Sherwood. Published by the New York Times. 

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