internet blackouts skyrocket amid political

Her position as a woman made her uniquely suited to oppose Lukashenko. In an unprecedented turn of events, Tsepkalo’s and Tsikhanouski’s wives, along with Babaryka’s campaign manager, united to create a campaign called United Headquarters, and chose Tsikahnouski’s wife, Sviatlana Tsikahnouskaya, as their candidate. Viktar Babaryka and Siarhey Tsikhanouski were arrested for doing so, and Valery Tsepkalo’s name was not allowed on the ballot. Tsikhanouskaya’s position as an opposition candidate was the result of early attempts by the government to eliminate other candidates. It is believed that a proper counting of ballots would have shown that Tsikhanouskaya had won the election. The protests have continued for nine weeks. Immediately following the announcement, protestors took to the streets of Belarus, in opposition to the manipulation of the election, and in support of the widely popular opposition candidate, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. According to the Belarusian government, 80 percent of the country had voted in favor of the incumbent. On August 9, 2020, it was announced that President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus had won a sixth term in office, after 26 years in power. Demonstrators have endured this treatment on behalf of a massive Belarusian movement with the goal of achieving true, free, and fair elections, bolstered by discontent with the Belarusian government that has been simmering for the past decade. These are the words of a doctor in the country of Belarus, describing the injuries of protestors who have been victims of police violence amid mass demonstrations following a rigged presidential election. The patient had been kicked in the face….I never could have imagined that I would see trauma such as this in peacetime.” AP: Sergei Grits Similar shutdowns have occurred recently in Sudan and Burkina Faso.“I saw bruises that covered their entire bodies…I was particularly struck by a bruise on the face of one of the patients.

Netblocks reported similar blackouts on election days in June 2021. AccessNow reported on Internet shutdowns in a number of Kazakhstan cities in February 2021 amid anti-government protests calling for the release of political prisoners. Kazakhstan has routinely blocked Internet access in recent years. The Guardian noted that the price of Bitcoin dropped amid the blackout, as many miners were lured to the country in the wake of China banning the cryptocurrency. Soldiers from the Kazakh and the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) have been deployed to bring the protests under control and dozens of people have been killed in the violence. “Currently, we are experiencing restrictions on the provision of mobile Internet services for reasons beyond the control of the Companies,” local telco Beeline said in a tweet.Ĭloudflare noted that Internet services returned for around three hours yesterday at the same time Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave a televised speech before the blackout resumed. “Kazakhstan is now in the midst of a nation-scale internet blackout after a day of mobile internet disruptions and partial restrictions,” said Netblocks.

Internet blackouts skyrocket amid political