Belarus: more than 600 arrests during massive opposition protest

Belarusian police beat an opposition supporter during a large protest rally on September 6, 2020 in Minsk.

TUT.BY / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

Belarusian police on Monday reported 633 arrests during the last major opposition rally the day before, in Minsk.

A figure of the protest movement was also taken away by strangers.

Publicity

Read more

On Monday, Belarusian police announced that 633 people had been arrested during the

opposition

on Sunday, a rally to protest, once again, against the controversial re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko.

This is the biggest crackdown since the start of August.

The security forces also specified that 363 of them remained in pre-trial detention pending the examination of their cases by the courts.

Maria Kolesnikova taken away by strangers

Another arrest symbolizing an intensification of the repression by the authorities, that of the opponent Maria Kolesnikova, one of the only important figures of the protest movement who chose not to go into exile abroad.

Maria Kolesnikova present at the large opposition rally in Minsk, September 6, 2020. Tut.By via REUTERS / File

According to testimonies gathered by her political allies, Maria Kolesnikova was taken in a vehicle Monday morning by strangers and no longer answers her phone.

She is a member

, against which the authorities have taken legal action for "threat to national security".

Sunday's demonstration drew a record crowd of over 100,000 in Minsk for the fourth consecutive weekend, despite an impressive deployment of law enforcement and army forces in the capital.

Images had shown on Sunday hooded men in civilian clothes and armed with batons circulating in the city center and chasing protesters.

Other protest actions took place in many cities across the country, notably in Grodno (west) or Brest (west).

⚡️⚡️⚡️Lukashenko's thugs attack people in Minsk! #LukashenkoOut #Belarus pic.twitter.com/fVilgcP7BC

  NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 6, 2020

Alexander Loukachenko, 66 years old, including 26 at the head of the country, continues to exclude any dialogue and seeks the support of Moscow.

Far from backing down, the authorities last week increased the number of arrests in response to the mobilization of opponents.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Belarus

• Alexander Lukashenko

On the same subject

Belarus: for Tikhanovskaya, Lukashenko has no other choice but to leave power

Belarus: Lukashenko reshuffles the leadership of security organs