More than 50,000 people have been detained for political reasons after mass protests broke out following the August 2020 presidential election, said Leonid Sudalenko, a member of Belarusian human rights center Vyasna and a former political prisoner. Calculations made by Vyasna concluded that at least 5,472 people have been convicted in politically motivated criminal cases, Sudalenko said. The protests were triggered by the results of the election that gave strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth term in office despite extensive evidence of fraud. The United States, the European Union, and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenka as the winner. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
More Than 50,000 Detained Since Protests Started In Belarus, Vyasna Says
Tens of thousands have been detained in Belarus after mass protests triggered by the result of the August 2020 election. (file photo)