Belarus: Over 6,000 people arrested during three nights of violent protests

Police in Belarus detained 6,000 people in a third night of violent protests over the country’s disputed presidential election which occurred on August 9, in which incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko retained his position with a landslide win. Reportedly, more footage has surfaced featuring police beating and violently arresting the protesters.

As per several international reports, leaders of the opposition have been arrested and driven out of the nation in a crackdown following the disputed elections. Among those leaders is the main opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who left for Lithuania after an apparent threat to her children. Opposition leader have called out the police for attacking protesters.

Videos have shown police authorities shooting onlookers with rubber bullets and beating protests with truncheons after their detention. According to reports, western governments have criticized the clampdown and the European Union has said that the bloc's foreign ministers would discuss Belarus at a meeting on August 14. Reportedly, in the country’s south-west region, Brest, law enforcement stated that they have used live ammunition to fire at demonstrators, injuring one.

The interior ministry stated that the protesters had attacked them with steel bars. However, the ministry later removed the reference to live ammunition from its statement.Families gathered outside the detention centre on the outskirts of Minsk in hope of receiving some information about their relatives who have been missing after the demonstrations. A few people also bought food and essential supplies to hand them to those inside.

Read: EU Warns Of Possible Action Against Belarus

Read: Over 1,000 Detained In Latest Belarus Election Protests

Current situation in Belarus

In a rally near a market in Minsk on August 12, hundreds of women donning white clothes and holding flowers formed a human chain to protest against police brutality and arrests. A theatre group called Belarus Free Theatre claimed that two of its members had been detained and added that they were being held in desperate conditions. The Belarusian interior ministry reported a total of 3,000 arrests after protests on August 10, 2,000 on August 11, and another 1,000 on August 12.

Lukashenko, who won a sixth term in the elections with 80.23 percent of the vote, has dismissed the protests. Speaking of the ongoing protests, he reportedly said that most of these demonstrators are people with a criminal past and currently unemployed. Earlier, the opposition had claimed that the results were rigged.

Central electoral commission chief Lidia Yermoshina stated that Tikhanovskaya won 9.9 percent of the vote. However, Tikhanovskaya rejected the results and demanded the authorities to transfer power to the opposition. She also criticised the authorities for the clashes, saying police had used disproportionate measures against protesters.

(Image credit: AP)

Read: Belarus: 3000 Detained, Dozens Injured As Protests Rock Country After Presidential Polls

Read: Belarus Women Rally In Solidarity With Protesters