Italians see real face of Lukashenka (Photo)

Italian RAI TV showed the film titled “Lukashenka. Who is He”?

Minister of Defence of Italy Ignazio La Russa made a gaffe live on air in May 2011, when it was revealed he didn't know who Alyaksandr Lukashenka was. Due to popular programme Crash on Rai TV, not only signor La Russa was able to learn more about the Belarusian ruler. The latest episode of the programme was dedicated to Europe's last dictator.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who was elected to rule Belarus in 1994, still remains at the helm. He calls himself the “father” of all Belarusians, though in this case the word “owner” would be more suitable. A lot of  international institutions and organizations label Belarus a dictatorship under the mask of a presidential republic – the documentary “Lukashenka. Who is He?” was presented to the audience in this way.

The aim of the film, authors say, was to show how the real dictatorial regime basing on secret services appeared and grew in Europe. The work of the Belarusian KGB mostly consists of persecuting dissidents. The dictatorship exists in spite of West's economic sanctions, expulsion of European diplomats from the country and protests of the world community.

The film shows the real events in Belarus through exclusive interviews with wives and children of political prisoners (Iryna Khalip, Volha Bandarenka, Yulia Bandarenka), independent journalists (charter97.org editor Natallia Radzina), opposition activists and Belarusians students, who had to leave Belarus for neighbouring Lithuania and Poland. The film was made a year ago, but was aired only recently.