Belarusian president criticised for gay jibe at German minister

The German government hit back yesterday at Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko after his quip about Germany’s foreign minister, who is gay.

Mr Lukashenko, branded “Europe’s last dictator” by Guido Westerwelle, attacked EU politicians on Sunday who have threatened him with further sanctions over alleged human rights abuses.

“Better to be a dictator than gay,” Mr Lukashenko said, in an apparent riposte to Mr Westerwelle, who is Germany’s first openly gay minister.

Foreign office spokesman Andreas Peschke said: “Unfortunately, these comments . . . say a lot about the mind-set of the person making them.”

Mr Lukashenko has been in power in Belarus since 1994.