Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko fears for his life
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko is worried for his life after his foreign minister was "murdered" with poison.
Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko fears for his life after his foreign minister was "murdered" with poison.
The death of Vladimir Makei has sparked panic in Belarusian political circles and the president is said to be in a state of shock.
According to a Russian opposition figure, Lukashenko - an ally of Russian despot Vladimir Putin - has "ordered that his cooks, servants and guards be replaced and his children provided with additional protection".
Makei died last weekend after a reported heart attack, just days before he was due to meet Kremlin counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Belarusian capital Minsk.
Exiled Israeli businessman Leonid Nevzlin claimed that sources told him the minister had been killed "with a poison developed in a special laboratory of the FSB [Federal Security Service]".
Nevzlin's claims has been disputed by some but he pointed out that the politician "had no health problems and led an active lifestyle" before his death.
He believes that the "assassination" was carried out to make sure that Belarus keeps supporting Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Nevzlin said: "It is very easy to poison a person so that everyone thinks he died of natural causes.
"The dictator trusts no-one. Not without reason. He believes that after Makei, a magnificent funeral can be arranged for him... the Kremlin is ready to use all levers to put pressure on the Belarusian regime."
