DISINFO: Lukashenka was inaugurated in accordance with Belarusian law
SUMMARY
There is no Belarusian law which says that a presidential inauguration ceremony should be conducted in any specific manner. Lukashenka’s inauguration did not violate any Belarusian legislation.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative concerning the ongoing situation in Belarus. Lukashenka's secret inauguration did, in fact, violate both the spirit and the letter of Belarusian law. His election victory is widely contested and has since been the target of mass popular protests across the country. For this reason, the EU has rejected both the "falsified results" of the presidential race and Lukashenka's "so-called inauguration." The organisation and conduct of the inauguration ceremony is regulated by the law "On the President of the Republic of Belarus." Article 10 of the law states that "the President's swearing-in ceremony shall be broadcast on republican television and radio." During Lukahsenka's secret ceremony, the three main TV channels in Belarus were airing soap operas and science programmes.