Poland's Duda demands respect for human rights in Belarus

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday called on the international community to "speak with one voice and demand that fundamental human rights be respected" in Belarus.

Duda was addressing the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

"Belarusians, like any other free nation, have the right to shape their political future in a sovereign way without external inteference," Duda said.

Belarus has been rocked by weeks of huge protests after authoritarian leader President Alexander Lukashenko's reelection, which the opposition says was rigged.

Lukashenko has run Belarus, a former Soviet nation of 9.5 million, with an iron fist for 26 years.