http://dx.doi.org/10.17176/20200520-133705-0 https://staging.verfassungsblog.de/the-state-of-denial-amidst-a-military-parade-covid-19-in-belarus/ The State of Denial Amidst a Military Parade: COVID-19 in Belarus Belavusau, Uladzislau Karliuk, Maksim eng 2020-05-20 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Authoritarianism Coronavirus COVID 19 Emergency Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 In contrast to the ‘illiberal democracies’ of Hungary and Poland, Belarus in its response to COVID-19 appears to be playing the role of a perfectly ‘liberal’ state with almost a laissez-faire solution, where people’s choice is prioritized and rights are respected as no severe measures are introduced to close businesses or restrict free movement. This image is inevitably misleading, as democratic institutions in Belarus have been brought to heel long ago, and alternative information about the state of affairs in Belarus regarding the virus remains suppressed.