Belarusian former wrestler and Deputy Minister of Sports of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Baraulia, has recently come under fire for his public support of Alexander Lukashenko's authoritarian regime. Baraulia has been organizing and participating in events aimed at justifying the regime's unlawful actions, including the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests and the imprisonment of opposition leaders and activists.

The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions on Lukashenko's government in response to the regime's human rights abuses, including the forced landing of a commercial airliner and the subsequent arrest of a dissident journalist earlier this month.

Baraulia's support for Lukashenko also puts him at odds with many members of the Belarusian sports community, who have spoken out against the regime's crackdown on dissent.