Belarus protests: Maria Kolesnikova ‘detained by masked men’

Belarusian witnesses say they saw opposition leaders banded in a minibus in Minsk and chased away.

Police have refused to detain Maria Kolesnikova in the Belarusian capital, according to Interfax news agency.

She was one of three women who joined forces to challenge incumbent Alexander Lukashenko in August’s presidential election.

Amid allegations of vote-rigging, public unrest erupted after his re-election.

At least four people have been killed and hundreds injured as authorities in the country try to quell dissent.

But Mr Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, has blamed the West for interfering in his country. On Monday, the Kremlin announced that they would visit Moscow for talks “in the coming days”.

Russia is a close ally of Mr. Lukashenko.

An eyewitness told Belarusian news outlet Tut.B that he saw masked men take Ms Kolesnikova’s mobile phone and push her into a minibus on Monday morning.

Police in the capital, Minsk, have not yet commented on the reports.

Ms. Kolesnikova was a member of the Co-ordination Council set up by the opposition to ensure the transfer of power. Government authorities have launched criminal cases against opposition leaders, saying “the formation and activity of the Coordinating Council is aimed at undermining national security and undermining national security.”

She is the last of three women to join forces against Mr Lukashenko to stay inside Belarus. Veronica Tsepkolo and presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhnovskaya left the country shortly after the vote.

“I am the only one of the three who is still here,” Ms Kolesnikova told BBC Russian in an interview last month. “To really understand what happens, you really have to come here.”

Calling the demonstration not a “struggle for power”, but a “struggle for self-respect and self-respect,” he said he was not afraid for himself, but worried for more violence. She also said that she and her team decided to use Burds Diggards because there was no point.

“I know that a number of guards would be of no use if a bus full of riotous police stopped us,” he said. “We all know what a police state is capable of.”

Another female activist, Olga Kovalkova, announced on Saturday that she had fled Poland amid threats of imprisonment.

Her arrest follows the next demonstration on Sunday – a major day for street demonstrations since rallies began.

Eyewitnesses told Russia’s Interfax news agency that after the uncontrolled rally ended, people began making arrests in Minsk and people kept going home. Video footage on Sunday showed plain-clothed men beating peaceful protesters with batons.

The home ministry confirmed that at least 3 republics have been arrested. It said about 3 court3 people have been sent to the rest of the detention centers for court hearings.

Interior Minister Yuri Karayev defended the security forces’ action.

“They talk about the brutality of the Belarusian police, and I want to say this: nowhere in the world are there more humane, restrained and cold-headed police,” Beltani’s official news agency said.

A protester in Minsk, who gave his name as Lyudmila, had earlier told the BBC that protesters were disliked by security forces.

“We’re definitely not ready to get back into our lives for so many years now,” he said.

“We think we don’t mind because we’ve been living in apathy for so long, and now we have this sense of unity and we really think – well, I personally think – changes are already happening, So it certainly is. There is no time to give up. “

Protests have also been reported in other Belarusian cities and towns, including Grudono, Mogilev and Gomel.