
 
 Wearing Soviet-era fatigues, teenagers take part in a military game simulating special operations at their "Spetsnaz" (Special Forces) military adventure training camp near the Belarus village of Talka, about 55 miles southeast of the capital, Minsk, on July 6. (Sergei Gapon/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) 
 
 Belarus's long-ruling president, Alexander Lukashenko, is sometimes referred to as Europe’s "last dictator." But while he is frequently criticized abroad, Belarusans are the ones who feel the effects of his laws and policies. According to the state-run news agency BelTA, the president warned of drastic punishments for offenders polluting the environment, including the "confiscation of vehicles." 
 
 In other words: If you dump trash in Belarus, you may lose your car. 
 
 To many, Lukashenko's latest remarks come as no surprise. Here are two other examples of the Belarusan president's notorious interpretation of justice. 
 
 Don't clap your hands 
 
 In 2011, protesters in Belarus adopted an uncommon way to protest Lukashenko's policies: They clapped. Thousands of people were consequently arrested for applauding. One of those accused of having committed the offense had only one arm. He was fined anyway. 
 
 Ban on teddy bears 
 
 A year later, the capital, Minsk, was bombarded with 879 plush teddy bears by members of an advertisement agency who were inspired by democracy activists. Attached to them were small signs supporting free speech. Although the government decided to ignore the airdrop at first, photos soon began to emerge. 
 
 Finally, Lukashenko condemned the violation of Belarus's airspace. But he didn't stop there. He continued to fire several of his generals for failing to uphold national security and threw Swedish diplomats out of the country. 
 
 The group responsible for the teddy bear spat had been based in Sweden. It commented on its Web site: “A dictator can be hated, despised or feared. The only thing he cannot survive is being laughed at.” 
 
 However, many Belarusans don't have much to smile about. After a period of growth, their country has faced economic instability since 2008. Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994 in an oppressive and often brutal manner — imprisoning opponents and silencing journalists. He was quoted by several media outlets, including Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, as once having said: "I won't let my government follow the civilized world." 

 Lukashenko urges to clean up neglected lands 
 
 MINSK, 25 July (BelTA) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered to pay more attention to keeping land clean and tidy not only in cities and towns and along the major transport routes, but also in the most remote places of Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko made this statement during a working trip to Minsk District where he inspected the course of the harvesting on 25 July, BelTA has learnt. 
 
 
 
 Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that he can see how things are not only when he travels along the major highways, but also during his trips to various regions, including the most remote areas. The President remembered one of his recent private trips to the area located at the juncture of Mogilev Oblast and Vitebsk Oblast. “As I got into this very out-of-the-way place, I saw disgusting attitude to some fields. They think that no one will see it as it is located far away. This is I-couldn't-care-less attitude. It was on the territory supervised by Kosinets (Vitebsk Oblast Governor Alexander Kosinets – BelTA's note),” the Belarusian leader said. 
 
 
 
 The President emphasized that people, in particular those living in cottages and in the countryside, should be actively involved in cleaning up untidy and neglected land. Alexander Lukashenko said that the clean up activities should be spearheaded by both public and private initiative. 
 
 
 
 The head of state ordered to apply the toughest punishment, up to confiscation of vehicles, to those who pollute the environment by dumping trash in the undesignated places. 
 
 
 
 

 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has had enough with polluters. According to reports, he's now threatening to seize the cars of people who defile the country by dumping their trash anywhere but the garbage. 
 
 As Rick Noack noted: 
 
 According to the state-run news agency BelTA, the president warned of drastic punishments for offenders polluting the environment, including the "confiscation of vehicles." 
 
 He added that this eccentric approach to governance is hardly new for the premier, who has previously crackdown on dissenters by fining them for applauding as a form of protest. He's also jailed journalists and opposition activists. 
 
 Lukashenko came to power in July 1994, meaning he has now been in power for two decades, the longest-serving European leader. 
 
 Alexander Lukashenko has been president of Belarus all my life. Man, I feel old! #90skid #buzzfeed — Dan Jensen (@jensenthedan) July 25, 2014 
 
 After being branded as "Europe's last dictator" by German Former Minister Guido Westerwelle in 2012, here's how Lukashenko responded: 
 
 Whoever was shouting about dictatorship there ... when I heard that, I thought: it's better to be a dictator than gay." 
 
 Westerwelle is Germany's first openly gay minister. 

 Belarusians could have their cars confiscated if they are found polluting the environment, according to a statement from the country's president. 
 
 On a visit to farms in the Minsk district during harvest, Alexander Lukashenko said citizens must take a more active role in keeping land clean and tidy, not only in residential areas and on major transport routes, but also in the most remote places of Belarus, according to a report from the state-owned news agency BelTA. 
 
 Recalling a recent trip to the rural area betweeen Mogilev Oblast and Vitebsk Oblast, Lukashenko said he found the "most terrible treatment of farmland". 
 
 “I went to a most distant place. They have most terrible treatment of farmland there. They think it is far away and no one will see it. This is irresponsible," he said. 
 
 BelTA quoted the president as saying the attitude towards the farms was "disgusting" and showed an "I-couldn't-care-less attitude". 
 
 Lukashenko said he has tasked local administrations with reaching out to the population, and said he had requested especially tough measures to be applied to those who pollute the environment by dump waste in places not intended for that purposes – the toughest of which would involve confiscating their cars. 
 
 He did not elaborate on how the punishments would be decided, or how long the cars would be confiscated.
– Europe's "last dictator" is no fan of litter. Throw your leftover trash on the streets of Belarus and President Alexander Lukashenko might just take your car. The country's state-run news agency BelTA reports Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, is warning litterers they could face tough punishments including the "confiscation of vehicles." While eliminating pollution is an admirable goal, this is coming from the guy who arrested people for clapping during anti-government demonstrations—and even allowed a one-armed man to be fined for the supposed crime, the Washington Post reports. Europe's longest-serving ruler has also been known to arrest journalists and opponents and to come down hard on teddy bear stunts. He was given the title of Europe's "last dictator" by Germany's first openly gay minister back in 2012. His response, per The Wire: "When I heard that, I thought: It's better to be a dictator than gay." Lukashenko's latest crackdown comes after a trip to a rural part of the country where he found what he called the "most terrible treatment of farmland." He said, per the Guardian, "They think it is far away and no one will see it. This is irresponsible."