Belarus opposition leader urges people to avoid protesting against election

FILE PHOTO: Exiled Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks on the day she receives the 'European of the Year' prize at the National Museum in Copenhagen, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard/via REUTERS/File Photo

OTTAWA (Reuters) -The exiled leader of the Belarusian opposition is advising people in the Eastern European nation not to protest against elections in January, saying it is too risky to intervene in a ritual expected to hand President Alexander Lukashenko a seventh term.

Lukashenko's election win in 2020 triggered unprecedented demonstrations by protesters accusing him of rigging the poll.