New intimidation measure against the opposition in Belarus. After having already been briefly arrested, the head of the campaign staff of the Belarusian opposition presidential candidate was arrested on Saturday August 8, announced the headquarters of the rival of President Alexander Lukashenko. Maria Moroz was arrested on Saturday, confirmed Anna Krasoulina, spokesperson for opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa.

Belarus is organizing its presidential election on Sunday, which saw opposition emerge against President Lukashenko, 65, including 26 in power. The ballot boxes opened on Tuesday in this country of 9.5 million inhabitants, with a participation of more than 32% since, according to the authorities.

Maria Moroz "will probably not be released before Monday", ie the day after the poll, said Anna Krasoulina, adding that the reason for her arrest was unknown. On Thursday, she was arrested by agents of the Ministry of the Interior, according to the HQ of the opposition, after going to the Lithuanian embassy in Minsk, before being released. 

See also >> Presidential election in Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko challenged by the awakening of the opposition

Since the spring, following an unexpected mobilization in favor of the opposition, the Belarusian authorities have stepped up operations against the opponents of the Head of State.

Two potential presidential candidates of August 9 were notably imprisoned, leading the wife of one of them, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, to take over, gathering all the detractors of the Belarusian president behind her and gathering crowds of an unprecedented scale during its meetings.

Alexandre Loukachenko, for his part, denounced a plot between Russian opponents and mercenaries to commit a "massacre" in an attempt to destabilize his country and take power. He also accuses the West, especially the United States, of plotting against him.

With AFP

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