Belarus summons Nobel prize winner right after Minsk mass rally

Police in Belarus have summoned Nobel prize winner Svetlana Alexievich for questioning about a prison situation in opposition to a new opposition council.

The council, started by exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was established up right after the disputed election earlier this thirty day period.

Ms Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel prize for literature, is a member.

The transfer arrives a day soon after extra than 100,000 folks rallied versus President Alexander Lukashenko.

Two opposition figures ended up also detained on Monday. Olga Kovalkova and Sergei Dylevsky were picked up exterior the Minsk Tractor Manufacturing facility, in which staff are associated in an anti-Lukashenko strike.

Opposition chief Ms Tikhanovskaya is in Lithuania, which is now in a diplomatic row with Belarus.

Lithuania’s foreign ministry states it summoned the Belarus ambassador on Monday to protest around a violation of its airspace. It alleges that a Belarusian army Mi-24 helicopter crossed the border on Sunday evening in order to burst eight balloons.

An graphic posted on Twitter demonstrates a major red-and-white balloon – the colors of the flags paraded at opposition demonstrations.

In accordance to the Belarusian defence ministry, the balloons had been “anti-point out symbols” and “thanks to the crews of Mi-24 helicopters the balloons’ flight was intercepted devoid of recourse to weapons”. The “provocation” occurred at about 19:30 (16:30 GMT) in Ashmyany district.

In solidarity with the Belarus opposition on Sunday people connected fingers in Lithuania to type a human chain from the money, Vilnius, to the Belarusian border.

Tensions remain high in Minsk, amid common anger above Mr Lukashenko’s landslide 9 August re-election, which the opposition and numerous governments denounced as fraudulent.

There is also fury around police brutality – many protesters accuse the police of unprovoked beatings and torture during the crackdown.

On Sunday, Mr Lukashenko was filmed in combat equipment and carrying an assault rifle, praising his protection forces close to the presidential palace. He has denounced protesters as “rats” or “Nazis”.

The opposition now states a strike chief at a potash fertiliser plant, Anatoly Bokan, has also been detained.

Final 7 days the main prosecutor launched a prison investigation into the 35-member co-ordination council, accusing it of seeking to seize electricity. A number of members of the council are reported to have resigned as a final result. Not all council associates are in Belarus.

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Belarus – the simple information

Wherever is Belarus? It has Russia – the previous dominant ability – to the east and Ukraine to the south. To the north and west lie EU and Nato users Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Why does it matter? Like Ukraine, this country of 9.5 million is caught in rivalry among the West and Russia. President Lukashenko, an ally of Russia, has been referred to as “Europe’s previous dictator”. He has been in electric power for 26 yrs, trying to keep substantially of the economic system in state fingers, and using censorship and police crackdowns versus opponents.

What’s likely on there? Now there is a massive opposition movement, demanding new, democratic management and economic reform. Mr Lukashenko’s supporters say his toughness has kept the country secure.