HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2020) The foreign ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden called on the Belarusian government to engage in a dialogue with the opposition amid ongoing protests in the wake of the presidential election, according to a joint statement out on Tuesday.
"We urge the Belarusian authorities to stop persecution of political opponents, to release all those unfairly detained immediately and to respect human rights and freedoms. We call upon the Belarusian government to immediately engage in a genuine political dialogue with the opposition in order to avoid further use of violence," the statement read.
According to the statement, Sunday's presidential elections in Belarus did not meet internationally recognized standards of democracy and the rule of law, and "were not free and fair."
"We are very troubled by the reports of physical injuries inflicted on the demonstrators," the ministers noted.
The election resulted in incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko winning 80.08 percent of the vote. The runner-up candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won 10.9 percent. The results have triggered nationwide protests in the country, resulting in thousands of arrests.
