Belarus elections: Second Belarus protests die as UN sounds alarm

A protester has died in Belarus after police in riot gear stormed a rally on Sunday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.

Officials say the cause of death of the 25-year-old man in Gomel is unclear. His mother says he had heart problems and was kept in a police van for hours.

In Brest, police said they used live bullets when they came under attack.

The UN has condemned the use of force by authorities, as protests continued through a fourth night.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said police were using excessive force, firing rubber bullets and water cannons and firing stun grenades.

“Reports suggest that more [than] “About 6,000 people have been detained in the last three days, including bystanders, such as minors, suggesting a trend of mass arrests in clear violation of international human rights standards,” Bachelet said in a statement.

“Even more annoying are the reports of abuse during and after detention,” she added, demanding the release of all those wrongful detentions.

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At least 200 Protestants have been injured, some seriously. A BBC crew was also attacked by police on Tuesday night.

The Belarussian Interior Ministry has said earlier that one protester was killed when an explosive device exploded in the capital, Minsk, on Monday.

On Wednesday night, more clashes were reported as Protestants resumed rallies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities. The numbers on streets seem to be smaller than in previous nights.

The protests erupted hours after Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, was declared the winner of Sunday’s vote, which has been condemned by the EU as “neither free nor fair”.

The main opposition match, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was then held briefly before fleeing to neighboring Lithuania.

What is known about the death of the protester in Gomel?

The 25-year-old man died on Wednesday in the southeastern city, the Belarusian Commission of Inquiry was quoted as saying by the Belta news agency.

The commission said the man was arrested on Sunday and later sentenced to 10 days in prison for participating in an illegal protest.

He was taken to hospital when he began to feel uncomfortable – but died later, the commission said. The incident is being investigated.

The protester’s mother told Radio Free Europe that her son was not taking part in the protests and was arrested for trying to seduce her.

How did the world react?

Mr Lukashenko won 80% of the vote on Sunday, according to election officials, but there were widespread allegations of vote rigging.

Josep Borrell, EU foreign policy minister, said Belarus had “shown the desire for democratic change” in the election campaign.

• How protests rocked the election

The Foreign Minister said EU foreign ministers would meet on Friday to discuss the imposition of sanctions on Belarus.

Lithuania, Poland and Latvia said they were ready to mediate, provided Belarusian authorities stopped violence against Protestants, released arrested protesters and formed a national council with members of civil society. They warned that it was alternative sanctions.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the vote “was not free and fair”, adding that the people “should get the freedoms they demand”.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mr Lukashenko on his victory, despite friction over allegations of a Russian plot that Mr Lukashenko had tried to link to the opposition.

The leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Moldova and Azerbaijan have sent messages of support.

What happened to the opposition?

When Ms Tikhanovskaya, 37, went to the election commission Monday night to complain about the results that gave her just 10% of the vote, she was detained for seven hours. By Tuesday morning, she had arrived in Lithuania.

She was a mother who stayed home until she entered the race after her husband was arrested and blocked from registering for the vote.

She was one of three women who gathered their resources to spare the opposition. Veronika Tsepkalo fled Belarus on polling day and Maria Kolesnikova remains in Belarus.

According to an associate, Ms Tikhanovskaya was escorted out of the country by the authorities as part of a deal to facilitate the release of her campaign manager.

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A second video appeared later that appeared to have been made during her detention. The images show her, with her head bowed, nervously reading from a script, while urging her supporters to “follow the law” and stay away from street protests.

Before Sunday’s election, crowds flocked to opposition matches, with Belarus angry in part because of the Lukashenko government’s response to coronavirus.

The president has downplayed the outbreak, advising citizens to drink vodka and use saunas to fight the disease.