Please join the Fletcher Eurasia Club for a lunch seminar about the political landscape in Belarus with visiting scholar Vitali Shkliarov. He will speak about the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, the events leading up to the 2020 protests in Belarus, the repression of civil society, and the current state of the Belarusian democratic movement.

We encourage you to read in advance the following articles by Shkliarov and other experts about the 2020 Belarus protests and government crackdown, Belarusian democratic opposition groups, and the role of Belarus in the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Eurasia Club weekly lunch seminar series engages with students, faculty, staff, and researchers to foster a better understanding of the region among members of the Fletcher community. Members of the wider Tufts community are also welcome to attend. Please register via myFletcher to attend the event in person. If you would like to submit discussion questions for the speaker in advance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Lunch will be served following the conversation.

Vitali Shkliarov is a visiting scholar with the Russia and Eurasia Program at The Fletcher School. He is a Belarusian-American award-winning political strategist, columnist, expert on U.S.-Russia relations, and activist with extensive experience in international and American political campaigns and civic movements. Born in Belarus and educated in the United States and Europe, Shkliarov has built a diverse career spanning multiple continents, becoming a key figure in political consulting and grassroots activism. He has orchestrated political races in the United States, Europe, Germany, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, and Russia, advising prominent opposition figures and promoting democratic values in authoritarian regimes. As a political strategist and activist, he has shaped global political conversations and emerged as a leading figure in the fight for democratic governance and human rights in Eastern Europe. In 2020, Shkliarov’s life took a dramatic turn when he was arrested in Belarus during a government crackdown on dissent. Detained in harsh conditions in a maximum-security facility for nearly four months, his situation became the focus of international attention. His ordeal raised the attention of human rights groups, journalists, and diplomatic organizations, leading to widespread calls for his release.