Belarusian authorities have detained 360 people in 19 cities and towns across the country during anti-government rallies that took place last week in the lead-up to the presidential election, a local human rights group said on Wednesday
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2020) Belarusian authorities have detained 360 people in 19 cities and towns across the country during anti-government rallies that took place last week in the lead-up to the presidential election, a local human rights group said on Wednesday.
The vote scheduled for August has galvanized Belarusian citizens behind different candidates and prompted disparate demonstrations on June 18-21. President Alexander Lukanshenko, who is running for a sixth term, has criticized the movements as misguided while authorities arrested two popular opposition figures who are aspiring candidates.
According to the Viasna Human Rights Center, 260 people were arrested in capital of Minsk alone while over 100 court hearings were held over Monday and Tuesday, dishing out a total of 50,000 Belorussian rubles (over $21,200) in fines to 78 people, while nine people were arrested for a total of 105 days.
Last week, the State Control Committee of Belarus detained Viktar Babaryka, a former banker and a presidential contender, as part of a criminal probe into tax evasion and money laundering involving Belgazprombank that the businessman used to head. His son Eduard, who leads his father's campaign, was also detained on tax evasion charges.
Another aspiring candidate, opposition YouTuber Syarhei Tsikhanouski, has failed to register his campaign because he was under administrative arrest and was unable to sign necessary documents. In late May, he was detained again during a rally in Grodno. His wife, Svetlana, is now seeking to run for the top office.
