Lukashenko sworn in again as Belarus' president, tells critics 'You have no future'

Alexander Lukashenko has been sworn in for a seventh consecutive term as president of Belarus at a ceremony in the capital Minsk.

During the ceremony, Lukashenko poked fun at those who call him 'Europe's last dictator' by claiming Belarus has more democracy "than those who cast themselves as its models."

"Half of the world is dreaming about our 'dictatorship,' the dictatorship of real business and interests of our people," Lukashenko said in his inauguration speech at the Independence Palace.

Lukashenko marked three decades in power last year and his political opponents have denounced the tightly orchestrated presidential election on 26 January as a farce.

The Belarus Central Election Commission announced Lukashenko won almost 87% of the vote after a campaign in which four token challengers on the ballot all praised his rule.

Opposition members have been imprisoned or exiled abroad by Lukashenko's crackdown on dissent and free speech.

Months of massive protests that were unprecedented in the history of the country of nine million people followed the 2020 election and prompted the harsh crackdown.

Over 65,000 people were arrested, thousands were beaten by police and independent media outlets and non-governmental organisations were closed and outlawed, bringing condemnation and sanctions from the West.

Thousands of Lukashenko supporters attended Tuesday's inauguration ceremony, where he denounced his critics as foreign stooges who were at odds with the people.

"You don't and won't have public support, you have no future," he declared. "We have more democracy than those who cast themselves as its models."

Belarusian activists say the country holds more than 1,200 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales