The election results announced earlier today point to a landslide victory of Alexander Lukashenko, now securing the fourth term as president. Almost 80 percent of citizens supported the head of state, with voter turnout reaching 90 percent, says Lidia Jarmoszyn, head of the Central Electoral Committee.

The results of the ballot have been questioned by the Belarusian opposition, which staged an anti-Lukashenko demonstration attended by up to 10,000 protesters in Minsk. A police crackdown soon followed, with arrests of hundreds of protesters, and presidential candidates.