A group of armed men entered the offices of the Russian Internet service company in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and investigated on Thursday, the fourth day of unrest, fueled by the controversial reelection of President Alexander Lukashenko.
A spokesman for the company, Yandex, told NBC News on Thursday that the gunmen, who did not identify themselves, were in their offices. The company was “looking into the situation,” he said, without providing further details.
Protests have roamed Minsk and other cities since Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for 26 years, won with all 80 percent of the vote. Opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya has fled to Lithuania.
Opposition groups called for a boycott of the polls, which saw them at the polls. Since then, thousands of people across the country have taken to the streets in protest.
Security forces have clashed with some Protestants, using tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades amid widespread internet and cell phone calls. The Interior Ministry said thousands of people had been arrested, and dozens of protesters and policemen had been injured.
This is an evolving story. More to follow.
