People with old Belarusian national flags shout during an opposition rally in August in Minsk, Belarus. MOSCOW — Not so long ago, the image of Belarus was of a peaceful, if tightly controlled, former Soviet republic, squeezed between Poland and Russia. Now the country's pro-democracy leaders are warning their country could turn into a North Korea in Europe: a state run by a dangerous, unpredictable leader who survives through fear and repression. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has been cracking down on his opponents since a presidential election in August. Mass protests broke out after Lukashenko declared himself the winner of a sixth term in office and forced his main challenger, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, into exile.