Belarus

Republic of Belarus is officially considered as a presidential republic with bicameral parliamentary government system. So far the state was represented by Alexander Lukashenko who came into power in 1994, after the Cold War. However, everything changed after the last election that took place this summer - Lukashenko won again, which made him the longest serving ruler of any country in Europe.

The election results spread immediate controversy and many believe that they were carried out unfair and falsified. Since he eventually came into power, it sparked protests all over Belarus, with reports of police acting violently towards the protestors, beating and imprisoning them. 'Republic' quickly turned into authority headed by Lukashenko who wants to maintain power at all costs. Belarus has nine TV channels - all of them are controlled by the government, as the majority of newspapers. This has made it very difficult for people to publicly criticise the government or hold them to account for their actions. Alexander once said that anyone joining an opposition protest against him, would be treated as a 'terrorist'.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53768751