As many as 345 people were detained pending a trial in an administrative case in Belarus over participating in unauthorized anti-government protests on Sunday, the Belarusian Interior Ministry said on Monday
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2020) As many as 345 people were detained pending a trial in an administrative case in Belarus over participating in unauthorized anti-government protests on Sunday, the Belarusian Interior Ministry said on Monday.
On Sunday, the Belarusian opposition held a new series of its regular post-election rallies in Minsk and other cities across the country. According to the tut.by news portal, the security forces used special means to disperse protesters.
"Yesterday, a total of 345 people were placed in detention centers pending trial in an administrative case over violations of the law on mass events," the ministry wrote on Telegram.
The ministry added that despite numerous appeals from "destructive Telegram channels" to participate in the protests, the organizers failed to gain the expected support of the population everywhere but in the capital.
Belarus has been facing massive opposition protests following the presidential election on August 9 that saw President Alexander Lukashenko reelected for a sixth term. While electoral authorities maintain that Lukashenko collected over 80 percent of the vote, the opposition insists that his key contender, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won the election. Opposition figures also accuse the security forces of resorting to excessive violence during the protests. Protests continue to this day, with the largest occurring on weekends.
