Belarus leader Lukashenko tells opposition leaders: ‘Repent and kneel’

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (Sergey Shelega/BelTA Pool Photo via AP)

Belarus’s authoritarian leader has advised exiled opposition activists to “come home, repent and kneel”, while repeating a vague promise to step down if the people “make the decision” for him.

President Alexander Lukashenko made the remarks in his annual state-of-the-nation address, seeking to underscore his grip on power after suppressing an unprecedented wave of mass protests against his rule.