MOSCOW, Oct 23, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Belarus will hold a presidential election on January 26, the election commission said on Wednesday.

Belarus, a key ally of Russia, has been ruled since 1994 by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko, who has eliminated all forms of opposition and in February 2022 allowed Russia's army to launch its military offensive on Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

The election commission said in a statement on social media that parliament had approved the date of the vote.

Critics accuse Lukashenko, expected to run again, of presiding over an increasingly authoritarian country, restricting human rights and jailing political opponents.

The last presidential election in 2020 was marred by allegations of fraud, triggering weeks of massive protests.

Thousands were arrested or fled the country in the face of a brutal crackdown.

Lukashenko's 2020 challenger, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, claimed victory but was also forced to leave the country.