Exiled rival accuses Lukashenko of playing 'game' with prisoners before Belarus election

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks during an interview with Reuters on the opening day of the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of playing games with the West by drip-feeding releases of political prisoners ahead of an election on Sunday in which he is set to extend his 31-year rule.

In an interview with Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Tsikhanouskaya condemned the election as a sham, citing the jailing of opponents and the absence of free media.