Lukashenko also said political prisoners, estimated to number around 1,000, could be released if they asked for clemency. However, he ruled out the possibility of dialogue with his opponents in exile.
"We have a brutal democracy in Belarus," he told reporters after casting his vote in elections he is expected to win for a seventh term.
"We don't put pressure on anyone and we won't silence anyone," he added.
Lukashenko said imprisoned critics should ask for pardons, arguing, "If you don't ask for pardons, it means you are fine. You should ask for it."
In his rambling press conference, Lukashenko also dismissed criticism from the European Union.
On 25 January, the EU's top diplomat, Kaya Kalas, said that Lukashenko "has no legitimacy" and called the presidential election "a gross assault on democracy".
Lukashenko said he was not worried about whether other countries would recognise the result of the elections, saying that "it is a matter of taste".
He also rejected the idea of talking to exiled opponents such as Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who is running against him in the 2020 presidential election.
"What should I talk with them about?" he said, adding that the exiles had made their choice and that "we have not pushed anyone out of the country". | BGNES
