On the third anniversary of the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, approximately 2,000 Belarusians residing in Warsaw held a protest march from the Praga district to the Mikolaj Copernicus Monument. Demonstrators chanted slogans against President Lukashenko and showed solidarity with Ukraine. Several Belarusians, who fled post-election repression, shared their experiences and aspirations during the rally, thanking Poland for its support. The protest remained peaceful. As background, Lukashenko was announced the winner of the 2020 elections with 80% of the votes, a result contested by many. Subsequent nationwide protests in Belarus led to over 30,000 detentions and numerous clashes with police.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi issued a stern warning to the UK, Germany, and France, accusing them of making a “new strategic mistake” regarding Tehran’s nuclear program. In a social media post, Arakchi said, “Iran will give a tough and determined response to the violation of its rights,” criticizing the European trio for backing a resolution against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors.
Arakchi condemned the move as baseless, recalling past disputes in 2005 which led to the expansion of Iran’s uranium enrichment. “Have these three really not learned any lessons in the last twenty years?” he said.
Meanwhile, the IAEA reported on May 31 that Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpile had grown from 274.8 kg in February to 408.6 kg by May 17. In response, the UK, Germany, and France are reportedly preparing to refer Iran’s file to the UN Security Council, which could activate the “snapback” mechanism and reimpose UN sanctions.
TR