BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2020) German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday called on his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, and the Belarusian army to not use force against the demonstrators amid nationwide protests.
"I appeal to President Lukashenko to follow the path of dialogue," Steinmeier said, speaking in Berlin.
The German president also urged the Belarusian military to not "sin against their own people by using force."
Steinmeier went on to say that the Belarusian citizens, who are protesting peacefully, deserve Germany's solidarity and support.
Belarus has been engulfed in protests since August 9, when a presidential election saw incumbent President Lukashenko win over 80 percent of the vote, according to the official figures. The Belarusian opposition refused to recognize the results, and people took to the streets en masse to demand that the president step down.
Police used force during the first several days of the protests, firing tear gas, water cannons, stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters. More than 6,700 people were detained, according to the Belarusian Interior Ministry. So far, there was one confirmed fatality during the protest in the capital city of Minsk, while hundreds of people � including more than 120 police officers � have sustained injuries.
