TALLINN, Estonia — On Wednesday, Belarusian legislators announced that the next presidential election is scheduled for January 26, a decision likely to prolong the nearly thirty-year rule of the authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has systematically quelled any political opposition.

Exiled opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya quickly criticized the upcoming election, labeling it a “farce.”

Lukashenko has already declared his intention to pursue what would be his seventh consecutive term in office, a tenure that began in 1994. His most recent electoral victory, achieved in 2020, was widely condemned by opposition groups and the international community as fraudulent.

The 2020 election sparked unparalleled mass protests. In response, Lukashenko’s administration launched a brutal crackdown, resulting in the arrest and abuse of thousands of individuals. Many opposition leaders have since been imprisoned or have fled the nation to escape persecution.

In her statement, Tsikhanouskaya, who was a candidate against Lukashenko in the 2020 elections, urged both Belarusian citizens and the global community to refuse to legitimize the forthcoming election amid ongoing political repression.