MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2020) Lithuania's sanctions against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko are a serious provocation, Russian upper house lawmaker Alexey Pushkov said.
Earlier, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry put Lukashenko and 31 other people on the list of those banned from entering the country.
"A political siege of Lukashenko and direct political support of the opposition begin. Personal sanctions against the head of state with whom there are diplomatic relations are not just a scandal - this is unprecedented," Pushkov said on Telegram.
"Imposing sanctions on Lukashenko, Vilnius knows very well that such sanctions are a reason, at least, to recall the ambassador of Belarus and to downgrade the level of diplomatic relations with Lithuania. This is a serious provocation - and a demonstration of a course to overthrow Lukashenko," the lawmaker said.
On August 9, incumbent leader Alexander Lukashenko won the presidential elections in Belarus for the sixth time - according to the Central Election Commission, he gained 80.1 percent of the vote. The opposition claims that candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, not Lukashenko, won the election.
Mass opposition protests began across Belarus after the presidential elections. In the first days, the rallies were crushed by law enforcement officers: tear gas, water cannons, stun grenades and rubber bullets were used against the protesters who did not agree with the election results.
Then the law enforcement agencies stopped dispersing the rallies and using force. In line with official data, over 6,700 people were detained in the first days. According to the Interior Ministry, hundreds of people were injured during the riots, including more than 120 law enforcement officers. According to the Belarusian Health Ministry, three protesters have died.
