Arrests as protests, clashes, continue in Belarus

Описание: (11 Aug 2020) Police in Minsk continued to detain people on Tuesday in an attempt to quell unrest following the re-election of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko who reportedly won a sixth term with a landslide 80% of the vote.
Several journalists have been injured, and some were detained by police, with police seized memory cards from a group of photographers, including an Associated Press photographer, as they were documenting clashes between police and protesters.
Demonstrations have been taking place on a nightly basis since the election, which opposition parties have branded a "sham."
The authoritarian Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994, has derided the opposition as “sheep” manipulated by foreign masters and vowed to continue taking a tough position on protests despite Western rebukes over the election.
Thousands of opposition supporters protesting the election results encountered aggressive police tactics in the capital of Minsk and several other Belarusian cities.
On Monday, a protester died amid clashes in Minsk and scores were injured as police used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse them.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Tuesday that the 27-nation bloc is mulling action against those involved in the police crackdown or against officials who might have interfered with the vote.
Borrell said the elections "were neither free nor fair,” and called on Minsk to begin a dialogue with society to avoid further violence.

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