Belarus says it detained over 400
KYIV, Ukraine — Police in Belarus said they detained more than 400 protesters who took part in a weekend demonstration demanding the resignation of the nation’s authoritarian president after a disputed vote.
With protests rocking the country for more than six weeks, tens of thousands of Belarusians marched through the capital city of Minsk on Sunday, calling for President Alexander Lukashenko to step down after 26 years in power.
According to a police statement Monday, 442 protesters were detained Sunday, including 266 in Minsk. Police said 330 of them remained in custody as they await hearings in court.
Amid international outrage, Belarusian authorities switched to prosecuting top activists and mass detentions, avoiding largescale violence. Many members of the Coordination Council, which was formed by the opposition to push for a transition of power, have been arrested or forced to leave the country.
On Monday, a court rejected the appeal of the arrest of prominent council member Maria Kolesnikova. She is being held pending trial on charges of undermining the state, which carry a potential sentence of five years in prison.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko’s main opponent in the Aug. 9 election, who is currently in exile in Lithuania after fleeing Belarus in fear for her safety and that of her children, repeatedly has condemned the crackdown on the protesters as unlawful.
In a video statement released Monday, she urged law enforcement officers to refrain from “crime and dishonest actions towards your fellow citizens, even if forced by your superiors.”