Tyga Cancels Belarus Concert After Human Rights Foundation Blasts Him For Being A Pawn In President’s Reelection
Tyga has canceled his Belarus concert appearance after US-based Human Rights Foundation blasted him for being a pawn in the president’s reelection — they called him out for pushing a political “propaganda” stunt. The concert was set to take place the night before the country’s highly anticipated presidential election, which potentially could end the 26-year reign of its authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko.
On Thursday, the rapper tweeted, “I was looking forward to playing in Minsk for my fans in Belarus in the spirit of bringing great music to a market I’ve never played before. My performance was not politically motivated and to avoid any conflict with the Belarus elections, I will not be performing on August 8th in Minsk. I hope to be back to play for my fans there at a future date.”
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Although he says he had no knowledge of the political events, the Human Rights Foundation sent him a letter, claiming he was a part of a “plan to distract protestors from gathering at opposition rallies.” They wrote that the performance was “organized and funded by the Belarusian dictatorship, led by Alexander Lukashenko,” and that, under his regime “there is no freedom of speech, no freedom of assembly, and no freedom of association.”
HRF president Thor Halvorssen added, “This performance, scheduled for the day before Belarus’ elections, is no coincidence. It is an excuse to cancel the opposition’s final electoral rally, and prevent ordinary Belarusians from showing their support for freedom and democracy. It is also a deliberate attempt to turn attention away from the massive electoral fraud that is already taking place across the country. Simply put: Your concert will serve as propaganda for Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime the day before the election.”
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