The law, which also imposes strict eligibility criteria for future presidential candidates, effectively sidelines many opposition leaders living in exile.
This legislation, ostensibly applicable to all former presidents of Belarus, primarily serves to insulate 69-year-old Lukashenka, who has been at the helm since 1994. It ensures that he and his family members cannot be held legally accountable for actions undertaken during his tenure as president.
The law secures Lukashenka a pension equivalent to the salary of the sitting president, as well as state-provided protection and healthcare, similar to those granted to the head of state. The bill also guarantees him a lifelong membership in the upper house of the Belarusian parliament upon his departure from the presidency.
A significant component of the new law is its rigorous criteria for presidential candidacy, effectively barring many opposition leaders who have sought refuge abroad from running in future elections. To be eligible, candidates must be lifelong Belarusian citizens, at least 40 years old, residents of Belarus for the past 20 years, and never have held a residence permit in another country.
The enactment of this law follows the mass protests that erupted in Belarus in August 2020 after Lukashenka claimed victory in what was widely regarded as a rigged election. The state's violent crackdown on these protests included widespread arrests, allegations of torture, and the imposition of long prison sentences, forcing many, including opposition figures, into exile.
Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has criticized the new bill as a reflection of Lukashenka's "fear of the inevitable future," asserting that international law will hold him accountable despite his efforts to shield himself through this legislation.
Around 1,500 individuals, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, remain incarcerated for political reasons in Belarus.
Source: Associated Press, Polskie Radio, PAP
