The human rights center Viasna, not registered by the Belarusian authorities, reported that it has data on 245 people detained on Saturday in the republic, mainly during the opposition’s attempts to hold an unsanctioned protest rally in Minsk.
The Belarusian opposition on Saturday announced massive unauthorized protests in various cities, including Minsk. However, as the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic has informed, illegal mass events have not been recorded, protest activity is close to zero. Law enforcers carried out pinpoint arrests, which, as explained to RIA Novosti in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are associated with violations of administrative legislation, including picketing.
As reported on the Viasna website, 245 people were detained. In addition to Minsk, there are also several detainees in Brest, Novogrudok, Soligorsk, Novopolotsk, Baranovichi and Mogilev.
After the presidential elections held in Belarus on August 9, 2020, in which Alexander Lukashenko won for the sixth time, who, according to the CEC, gained 80.1% of the vote, mass opposition protests began in the country, in Minsk and in the regions they were associated with riots. During their dispersal, the security forces used special means and special equipment. The authorities have officially confirmed the deaths of three protesters. The shares gradually changed their character to a local and small number. On February 11, the KGB of Belarus announced that the situation in the country had stabilized, the peak of the protests had passed, their manifestations had practically disappeared.
The opposition believes that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya won the elections, demands new elections and initiates the expansion of international sanctions against Minsk, previously adopted by Western countries. In Belarus, criminal cases have been initiated against a number of members of the opposition coordinating council created on the initiative of Tikhanovskaya, including calls for the seizure of power, the creation of an extremist formation, and a conspiracy to seize state power in an unconstitutional way. Tikhanovskaya, who left for Lithuania after the elections, was put on the wanted list by Minsk, she is also a defendant in criminal cases.