Belarus opposition leader arrested, Ukraine says

President claims opponent was detained for a border violation

MOSCOW — A Belarus opposition leader who played a key role in leading recent anti-government demonstrations was arrested after she tore up her passport to avoid being expelled to neighboring Ukraine early Tuesday, local media reported.

The decision to arrest Maria Kolesnikova was the right one, said longtime authoritarian Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is facing unprecedented protests after a widely condemned presidential election. He said she was being held for a border violation.

In a TV interview with Russian state media, Lukashenko also admitted that “probably I have stayed on a little too long.” He continued: “But only I can protect Belarus now,” rejecting protesters’ demands that he step down.

“No way I’m going to resign just like that,” he said. “I’ve been developing Belarus for a quarter of a century. I’m not going to give it all up.”

Lukashenko also ruled out meeting with the Coordination Council, set up by the opposition in the hopes of negotiating a power transition.

Kolesnikova was seized early Monday by a group of masked men — apparently state security agents — and shoved into a van, a witness told local media. Ivan Kravtsov, a member of the Coordination Council, and Anton Rodnenkov, its spokesman, vanished at around the same time.

Early Tuesday, they were taken to the border with Ukraine. It is not clear who was driving, but in recent instances when opposition figures were expelled from the country, they recounted being driven by state security agents.

Belarussian authorities have been arresting opposition activists and members of the Coordination Council, and expelling them from the country since the Aug. 9 election. Others have fled after warnings that they faced prison time.

“It was not a voluntary trip,” Ukrainian Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko posted on Facebook.