Opposition chief says Belarus has end up 'North Korea of Europe'

WASHINGTON, June nine (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's crackdown on pro-democracy protests and the impartial media is popping his nation into "the North Korea of Europe," the united states's opposition chief advised US lawmakers on Wednesday (Jun nine).

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya advised tougher US and European Union sanctions concentrated on Lukashenko's profits assets, including "cronies who finance the regime" and nation-run organizations.

She testified via telephone from Prague to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. US President Joe Biden turned into headed for Europe on Wednesday - his first international experience - in which his discussions had been predicted to include Belarus.

Tsikhanouskaya fled into exile after Lukashenko, who has stored a good grip on Belarus when you consider that growing to power in 1994, launched a crackdown on protesters who accused him of rigging his 2020 re-election, a vote that she widely changed into visible as winning.

Western powers have refused to recognize Lukashenko's victory. He denies election fraud and allegations of human rights abuses.

Lukashenko has intensified his crackdown on ongoing protests and independent media. Last month he drew global outrage with the aid of having a navy plane pressure a Ryanair jet to land in Minsk, wherein a Belarusian social media activist aboard turned into arrested, prompting an EU ban on the nation-run airline.

Tsikhanouskaya said that United States and EU must put in force "a complete and unwavering response" to pressure Lukashenko to preserve a brand new election and end what she called his abuses.

"Otherwise all of us will face such situations inside the destiny as Lukashenko is popping my usa into the North Korea of Europe - non-transparent, unpredictable and threatening," she informed the committee, relating to one of the international's most repressive countries.

US Ambassador to Belarus Julie Fisher, who has been refused a visa to assume her submit, testified at some point of the same hearing that Lukashenko has emerge as ever-extra reliant on backing by means of Russia. As a end result, Fisher stated, he no longer can affect Russian army movements in Belarus.

Lukashenko's "willingness to boom dependency on Russia in each feasible sphere ... Has brought him to the point of being in no position, truely, to barely have a say in what it is Russia would decide to do militarily," Fisher said.

Russia and Belarus are planning a report quantity of military sporting activities, according to professionals, have signed a strategic partnership accord, and there have been reviews they are planning to open 3 new joint navy bases.

Earlier in the day, Tsikhanouskaya instructed the Czech Senate that an worldwide tribunal must be installed to research what she known as the "crimes" of Lukashenko's "dictatorship." Tsikhanouskaya became visiting Prague earlier than a summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies in Britain this week at which Belarus is predicted to be discussed.