Belarus opposition accused of attempt to seize power
TWO prominent Belarusian opposition figures yesterday spent hours being questioned by prosecutors over alleged attempts to “seize power” from President Alexander Lukashenko amid weeks of unprecedented protests.
Maxim Znak, attorney for a former opposition presidential candidate, and Sergey Dylevsky, a worker from the Minsk Tractor Works, who has emerged as an unofficial blue-collar leader, were interviewed the day an investigation was launched accusing them and other opposition figures of plotting to topple Mr Lukashenko.
Both men were earlier this week named as members of the Coordination Council, an ad-hoc body formed by the opposition to oversee a transition of power away from Mr Lukashenko, which they believe is imminent.
The European Union yesterday called for the criminal probe to be dropped.
The Belarusian leader of 26 years earlier this week appeared to be facing an inevitable fall from power. Mr Lukashenko was awarded a landslide victory at the Aug 9 presidential election, which was widely perceived as fraudulent.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition candidate, yesterday made her first public appearance after fleeing Belarus the day after the election and surfacing in Lithuania. She urged more workers to join industrial strikes.
Visibly distressed, Mrs Tsikhanouskaya told a news conference she would come back to Belarus only when she feels safe, but refused to say if she had been intimidated into leaving.
Mrs Tsikhanouskaya called on Mr Lukashenko to step down and said: “The violence has to stop, political prisoners need to be released and a new, free and fair elections need to be held. The people of Belarus will never accept Lukashenko.”