From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 24, 2020
Belarus cracks down on opposition leaders with detentions
Police in Belarus arrest protest and strike organizers as authorities crack down on opposition leaders after the latest unprecedented demonstration against President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election.
The detentions come as a top US diplomat meets with opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in Lithuania and after tens of thousands took part in some of the largest protests in the country’s recent history for a second Sunday in a row.
Tikhanovskaya fled to neighboring Lithuania after August 9 polls that she claims to have won against Lukashenko. His insistence on his own landslide victory and police violence against demonstrators have sparked huge protests against his rule.
The opposition said two members of its Coordination Council were detained on Monday: Sergei Dylevsky, a tractor plant worker who has come to prominence as a strike leader and Olga Kovalkova, a member of Tikhanovskaya’s staff.
Allies of Tikhanovskaya formed the Coordination Council this month to oversee efforts for a peaceful transition of power.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.