Belarus ambassador expresses 'solidarity' with anti-government protesters

On August 15, the Belarus ambassador to Slovakia expressed solidarity with the protesters demanding the resignation of the country’s authoritarian leader for his fraudulent election win, according to footage accessed by the state media.  Envoy Igor Leshchenya was reported saying that he stood in solidarity with demonstrators that flooded the streets of Belarusian cities with peaceful marches to have their opinion heard. “Belarusians have achieved this right through suffering,” the envoy was quoted as saying in the reports. Several protesters have succumbed to the brutal police crackdowns ongoing for the seventh consecutive day of the protests. As many as 7000 protesters were arrested and taken to a detention center in Minsk where they were subjected to torture, reports confirmed.

On August 14, as many as 20,000 demonstrators engulfed the central Independence Square with placards, flags, shouting slogans, as they encountered soldiers in riot gears and ammunitions guarding the nearby government headquarters, as per a news agency report. Women were seen forming the human chains as security forces arrested demonstrators opposing the autocratic President, who won with whopping 80 percent majority in polls despite public rebuke. In the violent clashes between the police and the civilians, several hundred were reported injured. Minister of Internal Affairs, Yuri Karayev, however, claimed responsibility and apologized for serious injuries to the protesters. Further, the Amnesty International reported accounts "widespread torture" of the detainees. EU spokesperson, Peter Stano, was quoted as saying that Minsk must let people “make their choice”, and that the widespread protests reflected “real choice” of the Belarusian people.  

Further flaring the anti-government sentiments, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called for the weekend of “peaceful rallies” and urged the citizens not to "stay on the side-lines". She urged the demonstrators to come out on streets and protest, following President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s re-election deemed as “illegal” and “unfair”. Tens of thousands of people revolted against the disputed victory of the Belarus President as they flooded Belarus capital of Minsk and clashed against the government’s armed security forces. As many as 2,000 were dragged and jailed with coercion amid soaring public angst and fury as people marched the city shouting “Go Away”, as per several reports.

Read: Protests In Belarus Focus On Spot Where Demonstrator Died

Read: Lukashenko On Wider Threat Of Belarus Protests

Demonstrations in 'every corner of country'

The self-exiled leader, Tikhanovskaya, called for demonstrations in “every corner of the country”. Moreover, she announced the formation of a council to ensure that Lukashenko’s administration was dismissed and the “rule of law” prevailed across Belarus. While Tikhanovskaya had abandoned her campaign and fled the city earlier this week, she re-emerged with a renewed call for the authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to “resign”. President Lukashenko won the elections in Belarus post 26 years of rule, however, the citizens rebuked his leadership calling the elections as “rigged.” 

Meanwhile, in videos that emerged online, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was heard saying that she made a "difficult decision "to leave her homeland and explained to the crowd her reasons for “sudden departure”. However, the Belarus government insisted in a statement that Tikhanovskaya had dismissed at her own accord and was not threatened.

Since winning the presidency in 1994, President of Belarus Lukashenko has had a stronghold on the police, the military, and the country's domestic intelligence agency that is still recognized with the Soviet-era name KGB. In shocking footages that emerged online, military officers and police veterans were seen discarding their uniforms and insignia in the trashcan. Many popular anchors at Belarus’ state TV stations reportedly resigned from their jobs. 

[Police clash with a protester following presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus, that demonstrators have dismissed as rigged. Hundreds of people released from custody after a violent crackdown on protests in Belarus. Credit: AP]

[Protester holds an old Belarusian national flag as he stands in front of police during a demonstration against the disputed presidential election in Minsk, Belarus. Credit: AP]

[People with old Belarusian National flags lay flowers as they gather at the place where Alexander Taraikovsky died amid the clashes protesting the election results. Credit: AP]

[A woman cries holding a poster showing a photo of a protester beaten by police in a hospital, during a rally in Minsk, Belarus. Credit: AP]

(Image credit: AP)

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