Belarusian opposition veteran Alexandr Milinkevich dies at 79

Alexandr Milinkevich, a key figure in Belarus's opposition movement and a former presidential candidate, has died at the age of 79. His family announced his passing on social media, stating that he died in Poland after a long illness. Milinkevich had been living in exile in Poland since 2021, joining hundreds of thousands of other Belarusians who left the country.

A physicist by profession, Milinkevich transitioned into politics following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He became a vocal opponent of Belarusian leader Alexandr Lukashenko, who came to power in 1994. Milinkevich challenged Lukashenko in the 2006 presidential election. In recognition of his activism, he was awarded the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in October 2006.

“

A man of exceptional dignity, a good soul, a brilliant mind.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the current leader of Belarus's democratic opposition, remembered Milinkevich as "a man of exceptional dignity, a good soul, a brilliant mind." In recent years, Milinkevich served as an advisor to Tikhanovskaya, continuing his commitment to the pro-democracy movement.

Milinkevich began his opposition activities in 1996, opposing Lukashenko's increasingly authoritarian rule. Upon receiving the Sakharov Prize two decades ago, he expressed hope that the award would help end the "dictatorial regime of Lukashenko" as soon as possible. Belarus has since seen further political turmoil, with Lukashenko relying on Russian support to suppress protests in 2020 and allowing Russian troops to invade Ukraine from Belarusian territory in 2022. The country now hosts Russian tactical nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles.

“

I hope that this award will allow us to put an end to the dictatorial regime of Lukashenko as soon as possible.