Fighting for democracy against Europe's last dictator
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 9 August 2021
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Each Monday this August, we're revisiting some of the stories from the past year that have stuck with us.
One year ago today, Alexander Lukashenko claimed to win a sixth term as president of Belarus in an election that was widely regarded as rigged. But after 26 years of Lukashenko's presidency, many in Belarus had had enough. After the election, the country saw the biggest protests in its history, which were met with mass arrests and repression. We followed four young Belarusians caught up in history.
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Guests:
- Aliaksandra Yushkevich, student.
- Kseniya Tarasevich, journalist.
- Evgeniy Ganchits, project manager.
- Tanya Alipchikova, PR manager.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Clips: BBC News, Sky News, DW News, France 24, BBC Radio 4, Euronews, Belsat TV, Nexta, WION.
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.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Imagine you, you in a nice comfy seat with your hands behind your head, taking in the views, |
| 0:09.6 | instead of taking on the road, maybe even taking a nap. That's the bliss of getting where you |
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| 0:23.0 | and we'll take you there. Avantiwascoast, feel good travel. |
| 0:30.3 | Hi, David Ronovich here. Every Monday this August we're looking back at some of the stories |
| 0:39.0 | from the past year that stuck with us. Today we're going back to Belarus. |
| 0:48.6 | This is the last dictatorship in Europe and it must be gone. |
| 0:54.8 | We will win. The revolution will win. The Lukashenko's days are over. |
| 1:02.8 | A year ago the country's long ruling president Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner |
| 1:08.7 | of what many abroad and at home saw as a rigged election. |
| 1:12.9 | War like it. War like it. War like it. |
| 1:18.9 | Nationwide protests over this stolen mandate were violently repressed by the security forces. |
| 1:30.3 | Belarus and Lukashenko's iron fist are still in the headlines. |
| 1:34.8 | A Belarusian activist has been found dead in neighboring Ukraine a day after he was reported missing. |
| 1:40.8 | There's been a chorus of condemnation across Europe tonight after a Ryanair plane was |
| 1:45.6 | diverted to Minsk in Belarus and a dissident Belarusian journalist on board was detained. |
| 1:51.6 | An unexpected end to this Belarusian sprinters Olympic run. |
| 1:57.3 | Just last week a sprinter from Belarus who refused her team's order to fly home early from |
| 2:01.9 | the Olympics after criticizing her coaches was granted a humanitarian visa by Poland to which |
| 2:08.7 | she is fled. I did not betray my homeland I love it so much I hope that one day I will return |
| 2:15.6 | to my free Belarus. Lukashenko is still in charge his regime is still in power but we'll have |
| 2:23.2 | a look back at the heavy days of last summer filled with hope and optimism. |
... |
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