logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2020
29m 22s

Fighting for democracy on the streets of...

THE TIMES
About this episode

Two weeks ago, Alexander Lukashenko claimed to win a sixth term as president of the Republic of Belarus. But after his 26 year rule, many in Belarus have had enough. Since the August 9th election, the country has seen widespread protests which have been met with mass arrests and repression. We follow four young Belarusians caught up in history.


Host: Manveen Rana.


Guests: 

Aliaksandra Yushkevich, student.

Kseniya Tarasevich, journalist.

Evgeniy Ganchits, project manager.

Tanya Alipchikova, PR manager.


There's a full interview with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the ex-teacher who ran against Lukashenko, in today's paper.


Clips used: BBC Radio 4, euronews, Belsat TV, Nexta.


Additional music: Peremen! By the band Kino.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Bonus: Bill Gates on AI risk, regulation and the "vacuum of US leadership"
The Microsoft co-founder tells Danny and Katie why AI is "ultra-different" from any previous technology - and why tech companies shouldn’t be responsible for controlling it. Speaking about a new report on AI and equity published by The Gates Foundation he also explores the “vacuu ... Show More
28m 25s
Today
How Lucy Letby’s hospital failed her victims
The Thirlwall Inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at the Countess of Chester hospital has released a damning report. It found the hospital could have prevented at least three of the murders, if not for evidence of a pernicious “them and us” culture and a lack of ... Show More
23m 49s
Yesterday
What the lightning Houthi advance means for the world
The Iranian-backed Houthis have seized large swathes of territory in Yemen and taken control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key shipping corridor between Asia and Europe. About 12 percent of global trade passes through the strait, including huge amounts of oil, so the move has se ... Show More
28m 31s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2020
A High-Stakes Standoff in Belarus
<p>Aleksandr Lukashenko came to office in Belarus in the 1990s on a nostalgic message, promising to undo moves toward a market economy and end the hardship the country had endured after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. As president, he acquired dictatorial powers, remo ... Show More
36m 48s
Jun 2021
Belarus: Can President Lukashenko be overthrown?
Over his 26 years in power, Belarus’s president Alexander Lukashenko has taken more and more control. He has detained protesters and tortured political opponents for years. He is emboldened by his last ally in Europe - Vladimir Putin. And his regime of terror is spilling over int ... Show More
23m 51s
Jun 2021
Belarus: more than a moral dilemma
<p>The decision by Belarus to divert a plane to Minsk to arrest a dissident journalist was intended to send a message to opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko, whose 27 years in office have seen him dubbed Europe’s last dictator. However, the act has renewed international c ... Show More
22m 38s
Sep 2020
Resisting 'Europe's last dictator' in Belarus
For more than 20 years, people in Belarus have been protesting against the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko - who's been dubbed Europe's last dictator. Lukashenko came to power in a landslide election victory in 1994 but he soon changed the constitution to giv ... Show More
12m 52s
Aug 2020
Not free, not fair, not finished: Belarus’s election
Huge protests following <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/15/belaruss-election-was-a-sham-the-wests-response-has-been-feeble?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_bl ... Show More
21m 30s