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In the capital, Minsk, critics of Lukashenko gathered to protest across the city. Some of them were attended by several dozen people, while others were attended by several hundred participants.
The Viasna human rights center reported that more than 30 people were detained in Minsk and other cities.
A militia patrolled the streets with service dogs and a soldier and a water cannon were deployed.
Following the presidential elections on August 9, whose winner was Lukashenko’s leadership since 1994, Belarus has faced the gravest political crisis in modern history: protesters have taken to the streets and the government is cracking down on the opposition .
For months, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Minsk in a huge column, but in recent weeks, protesters have changed their tactics to avoid large-scale arrests. Now people are gathering for many small protests in the city.
The opposition and Western democracies claim that Belarus’ presidential elections have been rigged and that their winner is seen as political rookie Sviatlan Cichanouskaya, who replaced her imprisoned husband in the presidential fight.
S. Cichanouskaya, who is currently in Lithuania, praised the people who continue to take to the streets.
“The whole world is seeing a protest movement in Belarus,” the 38-year-old opposition leader said before Sunday’s demonstrations.
“Each new rally does not allow the regime to lie that the protests are over,” he added.
Belarus has temporarily closed the country’s land borders since Sunday. Such a decision is justified by efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but the opposition sees it as another means to suppress dissent.
The decree prohibits the departure of Belarusian citizens and foreigners with a permanent or temporary residence permit.
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