'Events in Belarus have drawn criticism from the United States and the European Union, which in recent years have eased sanctions slapped on the country over its human rights record as part of a nascent rapprochement with Lukashenka.
“We are deeply concerned about the reports of mass protests and detentions of peaceful activists and journalists. So we are going to continue to do what we can to urge the government of Belarus to improve its record on human rights and democracy and to meet its Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) requirements,” U.S. Secretary of State spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told RFE/RL in an interview on July 15.
“We know that free and fair elections are about more than just what happens on the election day. We think it is incredibly important for the government to provide a level playing field for everyone who wants to take part in the elections. That includes access to media," Ortagus added.
On July 14, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said that "the seemingly arbitrary exclusion of candidates limits the possibility for the Belarusian people to express their will and already undermines the overall integrity and democratic nature of the elections."
The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Europe’s election watchdog, said on July 15 it would not send monitors for the election after failing to receive a "timely invitation."
Expressing concern that Belarus had not addressed problems previously identified in the electoral process, the ODIHR urged Minsk to take "concrete and immediate steps to protect the exercise of fundamental freedoms."
It also expressed concern that prospective candidates had been intimidated and opposition activists arrested, undermining the prospects for a democratic election.'
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'..Belarus .. Preelection Protests Continue,' July 15, 2020
Context'..Sudan has outlined wide-reaching reforms..'