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- Dozens of opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko were arrested again in Belarus on Friday night.
- The special police broke up an unauthorized demonstration in Minsk.
- The human rights organization Wesna speaks of around 260 arrests.
- In response, the EU foreign ministers agreed to sanctions against Belarus.
The Wesna Center for Human Rights published a list in Minsk with the names of all those arrested. It was the highest number in days. Most of them were detained by the security forces in the capital Minsk. The Interior Ministry spoke of some 115 arrests.
According to the Belarusian Union of Journalists, around 50 journalists were also temporarily in police custody. Most were released after reviewing their documents, the association said. Among them were foreign journalists.
Minsk had warned
Belarusian security forces had issued an urgent warning against participation in unauthorized demonstrations. The uniformed officers had barely intervened until earlier this week, after the massive police violence on August 9 and the following days, which resulted in the temporary detention of 7,000 people.
The ongoing protests are directed against the Head of State Lukashenko, who is proclaimed victorious in the August 9 vote. The EU does not recognize the choice. It has been criticized internationally as grossly falsified.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured Lukashenko of his support. In a television interview, Putin said that Russia would send security forces to Belarus if the situation worsened.
Half army ready?
According to a media report, the President of Belarus, also known as Belarus, has put half of his country’s army in combat readiness. Lukashenko’s order was a response to threats from the
West, the state news agency Belta reported
Friday. NATO had exercises on the borders with Belarus
Brought in, said the head of state. “What should I do?” He asked.
Lukashenko had previously threatened counter-sanctions if punitive measures were taken against his country due to its controversial
Reelection will be imposed. The EU is considering sanctions such as a travel ban or an asset freeze. Ukraine does not rule out punitive measures either.
Special session of the OSCE on Belarus
The Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will address the situation in the country, which is between Russia and Poland, a member of the EU, on Friday. The committee with representatives from 57 countries meets at the initiative of the country that currently presides over Albania.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will comment on the conflict in Belarus and the possible role of the OSCE. The organization recently offered to mediate between the protesters and the government. Belarus is a member of the OSCE, but so far Lukashenko has refused to act as a mediator.
