Tikhanovskaya Urges Belarus Authorities to Stop Violence

Former candidate for the President of Belarus Svetlana Tikhanovskaya urges local authorities to stop violence against protesters during her address to the country’s citizens.

«The Belarussians will never again want to live with the previous government.The vast majority of people do not believe in his (Lukashenko’s) victory. We have always said that the only way to defend our right to elect is a legal non-violent protest. And now, authorities have turned these peaceful protests into a bloody massacre,» she said.

Tikhanovskaya also noted that she is confident in the support of Belarusian voters and feels gratitude to everyone who voted for her. According to Tikhanovskaya, the vast majority of Belarussian people are standing for political changes in the country.

«Those election stations that did not cheat with protocols showed my support ranged from 60% to 70%,» she stated.

On August 9, the presidential elections were held in Belarus. According to the official information, the incumbent head of state, Alexander Lukashenko won. This result was disputed by the opposition and peaceful protesters came to the streets. Many were arrested by police.

According to the head of the Belarussian Ministry of Internal Affairs, President Lukashenko instructed the agency to investigate all the facts of these detentions. More than a thousand people have already been released from custody. All detained persons left will be released very soon, said Alexander Barsukov, deputy head of the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Amid protests and some rumors, Alexander Lukashenko stated that he did not leave the country and is still alive. He also noted that workplace strikes can lead to very negative consequences for the future work of these enterprises.