Belarus opposition leader thanks religious groups for support

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Sunday expressed her gratitude to religious communities all around the world for their support for her country's democracy movement.

Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced to flee to Lithuania earlier this year, was addressing a church service in Berlin.

''Every fraternal gesture, every sign of solidarity breaks the walls down,'' she said. "Every expression of trust, every act of support, builds a new bridge."

Mass protests have gripped Belarus ever since official results from the August 9 presidential election gave President Alexander Lukashenko a landslide victory.

Tsikhanouskaya and her supporters refused to recognize the result, saying the ballot was rigged.