Belarus says 700 more held as women stage new rallies

AFP , Thursday 13 Aug 2020

In the capital and the town of Baranovichi, southwest of Minsk, drivers attacked members of traffic police

Belarus
Belarusian women, one of them carrying a poster reads "My brother is not a criminal", rally in solidarity with protesters injured in the latest rallies against the results of the country's presidential election in Minsk, Belarus, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. AP

Police in Belarus said Thursday they had detained 700 more people during a fourth day of protests over the ex-Soviet country's disputed election.

"Some 700 people have been detained for participating in illegal mass events" on Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement, bringing the total number of people detained to more than 6,700.

The ministry said it had registered fewer instances of mass unrest "although the level of aggression towards members of law enforcement remains high".

A total of 103 members of law enforcement have been injured with 28 hospitalised since Sunday, the interior ministry said.

In the capital and the town of Baranovichi, southwest of Minsk, drivers attacked members of traffic police, the ministry said.

"Members of law enforcement used arms to stop the transgressors," it said.

Rallies and clashes with riot police erupted in the authoritarian ex-Soviet country amid claims long-serving leader Alexander Lukashenko has stolen Sunday's election from his rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, 37.

Dozens have been injured in the post-election unrest and two people died.

Police have acknowledged opening fire on demonstrators and wounding one in the southwestern city of Brest on the Polish border on Tuesday night.

For the second day in a row, dozens of women joined hands in the capital on Thursday to form human chains, many wearing white and holding flowers, to denounce the violence.

A religious procession was set to take place later in the day.

Short link: