Belarus' election commission has permitted only seven pro-Lukashenko politicians to collect signatures for the upcoming presidential elections, while rejecting opposition candidates. Lukashenko, in power for over 30 years, aims for a seventh term amid criticism of previous elections as fraudulent. Human rights groups report around 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has condemned the elections as a farce, claiming they are merely an imitation of democracy. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)