Leader of Belarus marks 30 years in power after crushing dissent

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko shake hands during a meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Jan. 29, 2024. Lukashenko has depended on Russian support throughout his 30-year rule. FILE - Belarusian opposition supporters rally at Independence Square in Minsk, Belarus, on Aug. 23, 2020. Alexander Lukashenko's reelection that year was seen by the opposition and the West as fraudulent, sparking the largest protests ever in Belarus. FILE - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko gestures while speaking at an election rally in the Republic Palace in Minsk, Belarus, on Sept. 4, 2001, before winning a second term. FILE - Ales Bialiatski, the head of Belarusian Viasna rights group, stands in a defendants' cage during a court session in Minsk, Belarus, on Nov. 2, 2011. FILE - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, and his sons Viktor, second from left, Dmitry, third from left, and Nikolai, right, attend a meeting in Minsk on Sept. 24, 2016. Lukashenko has kept Nikolai at his side at official events.

For three decades, European leaders have come and gone by the dozens, but Alexander Lukashenko remains in absolute control of Belarus.