Protester dies during violence in wake of election in Belarus
MINSK, Belarus — A protester died amid clashes between police and thousands of people gathered for a second straight night Monday in Belarus after official results from weekend elections — dismissed by the opposition as a sham — gave an overwhelming victory to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Interior Ministry spokesman Alexander Lastovsky said the victim was part of a crowd protesting results of Sunday’s presidential vote. The protester intended to throw an explosive device, but it blew up in his hand and killed him, Lastovsky said.
The death came amid demonstrations in at least four areas of Minsk that were met with a harsh response from police who tried to disperse protesters with flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets. Near the Pushkinskaya subway station, some 3,000 protesters tried to build barricades.
Lukashenko’s hard-line rule began in 1994, and his victory would extend it until 2025. He derided the opposition as “sheep” manipulated by foreign masters.
Dozens of people were injured and thousands were detained hours after Sunday’s vote, when police brutally broke up mostly young protesters with tear gas and water cannons and beat them with truncheons. Rights activists said one person died after being run over by a police truck, which authorities denied.
Election officials said Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80 percent of the vote, while opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya got 10 percent. Tsikhanouskaya submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission.
The police crackdown drew criticism from European capitals and will likely complicate Lukashenko’s efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the election was not “free and fair” and added: “We strongly condemn ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters.”
Lukashenko, whose iron-fisted rule has fueled growing discontent in the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million, warned that he wouldn’t hesitate to use force again.
“We will not allow them to tear the country apart,” he said.
The Interior Ministry said 89 people were injured during the protests late Sunday and early Monday, including 39 law enforcement officers, and about 3,000 people were detained, some 1,000 of them in Minsk.