President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko spoke by telephone on Saturday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin according to information from the state agency Belta, as several thousand demonstrators gathered again in Minsk, the capital of the country, to protest against his re-election. "The presidents discussed the ongoing situation inside and outside Belarus," the agency said on its Telegram channel, shortly after President Lukashenko requested to meet with Putin to discuss the "threat" targeting, according to him, his country and "our entire region".
Moscow denounces attempts at "foreign interference"
"An aggression is being carried out against Belarus. We must contact Putin, the Russian president, so that I can speak with him now", had previously affirmed Alexandre Lukashenko, during a meeting with officials. Since the beginning of the protest movement, the Belarusian power has received the support of Moscow, which denounced attempts at "foreign interference" aimed at destabilizing its historic ally, despite recurring tensions between the two countries in recent years.
In the streets of Minsk, thousands of people converged on the Pushkinskaya metro station, west of the city center, to pay their respects to a protester who was killed nearby during a demonstration last Monday. "No to violence!", "Long live Belarus" chanted the protesters, carrying flowers or making the "V" for victory with their fingers.
A rally around the coffin of a deceased protester
At the same time, between 500 and 700 people gathered with the family of the deceased around his coffin, exposed in another district of the capital. Since last Sunday, tens of thousands of demonstrators have challenged the re-election of Alexander Lukashenko across the country, denouncing massive fraud and the violent repression of power. The latter was also observed by Joël, a 24-year-old Frenchman living in Minsk, as he explained on Europe 1 on Saturday.
This Saturday's demonstration takes place as Belarusian opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania after contesting the victory of Alexander Lukashenko on August 9, called for "peaceful demonstrations" in her country over the weekend on Friday .
On the same day, the European Union decided to sanction the repression in Belarus. "The EU will now launch a process of sanctions against those responsible for violence, arrests and fraud linked to the presidential election" in Belarus, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde announced after a video conference with its counterparts. A list of people accused of organizing and carrying out repression in Belarus will be drawn up and submitted for approval to member states.
EU pushes for mediation plan
Belarus remains under an embargo on sales of arms and material that can be used for repression. Four people are already banned from staying in the EU and their assets have been frozen since 2016. The new names will be added to this list.
The EU wants to force President Lukashenko to commit to a three-point mediation plan proposed by Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, neighbors of Belarus. Poland called for new elections on Friday. "They must be fair, with observers from other countries," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki asked.
Minsk said it was ready for a "constructive dialogue" and began to release hundreds of people arrested since Monday. All the testimonies denounce the extreme brutality of the repression carried out by the regime's special forces.
Poland and Lithuania support Belarusian opponents
Poland and Lithuania have also announced aid to Belarusian opponents. The Polish government has provided an envelope of 11 million euros to help Belarussians obtain visas and finance their installation in Poland and to support independent media and non-governmental organizations in Belarus, its prime minister announced to parliament. Scholarships are also provided for Belarusian students continuing their studies at Polish universities.
For its part, Lithuania offered to treat Belarusian demonstrators injured during the demonstrations and suggested the establishment of a European Union fund to help "victims of repression".