Belarussian security forces detained on Sunday 523 protesters, including 160 in the capital Minks, the country’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.

“At total of 523 protesters were detained for violating the law. 352 people, who will be taken to the Administrative Offences Tribunal, are being held in detention centers, “ the Ministry said.

Anti-government protests began in the lead-up to and during the 2020 presidential election, in which Lukashenko sought a sixth term in office.

Initially local, the protests took to the masses after official election results were announced on the night of 10 August, in which Lukashenko came out a winner.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opponent of Lukashenko, rejected these results as falsified and claimed instead to have received 60–70% of the votes.

On 14 August, she announced the creation of the Coordination Council, with membership applications open to all Belarusians who agreed that the official election had been falsified.

The council issued an ultimatum towards Lukashenko to cease all repression, free the detainees and step down from presidency by 25 October. On 26 October, the nationwide strikes began.

During the nationwide demonstrations, the protesters have faced violent persecution by the authorities.

A statement by the United Nations Human Rights Office on 1 September cited more than 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, as well as reports of sexual abuse and rape. (ILKHA)