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A28 world news
Diasabra 5 september 2020

Belarus' opposition challenger urges U.N. action amid protests

By YURAS KARMANAU fied against them via a video
Associated Press link. The court handed them
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — three-day sentences, the time
Hundreds of students, infor- they already have spent in
mation technology workers custody.
and others rallied again in Dozens of colleagues met
Belarus’ capital Friday to pro- them outside the court as
test the disputed reelection they walked out, chanting
of the nation’s authoritarian “Freedom!”
president, while the main Authorities also have revoked
opposition challenger in the the accreditation of many
vote urged the United Na- Belarusian journalists and
tions to help end the crack- deported some foreign jour-
down on protests. nalists, including two Mos-
Information technology cow-based Associated Press
workers and other protesters journalists. AP’s Belarusian
formed “chains of solidarity” journalists were among those
in various parts of Minsk to told their press credentials
keep pushing for the resigna- had been revoked.
tion of President Alexander On Thursday, two popular
Lukashenko, who extended TV anchors who resigned
his 26-year rule in an Aug. 9 from state TV in solidar-
election that the opposition ity with the protesters were
challenged as rigged. handed 10-day sentences for
Belarusians have turned out taking part in unauthorized
in en masse for nearly four rallies.
weeks to protest the official Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, former candidate for the Belarus' presidential elections speaks during “They beat journalists, they
election results that gave Lu- an interview with the Associated Press in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. put them on trial, strip them
kashenko a sixth term with Associated Press of their credentials and de-
80% of the vote. port them from the country,”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, demonstrations to swell. The try Boronovsky. “The Be- country, saying they wouldn’t Andrei Bastunets, head of
the main opposition chal- government has since shifted larusians have felt the taste of continue their work amid the the Belarusian Associaton of
lenger in the vote, addressed tactics, seeking to squelch freedom and will never agree crackdown on the opposi- Journalists, told The Associ-
Friday’s meeting of the U.N. protests with threats, the se- to return to the dictatorship.” tion. ated Press. “The law doesn’t
Security Council via video lective detention of protest- Earlier on Friday, several gov- Last month, dozens of top work, they accuse journalists
link, asking it to “stop blatant ers and the prosecution of ernment websites were at- IT entrepreneurs put out an with cameras of coordinating
human rights violations and activists. tacked by hackers, who added open letter, warning authori- the protests.”
cynical disregard for human On Friday, police entered the Lukashenko and his interior ties that repression against The United States and the
dignity right in the middle of State Linguistics University minister to the list of wanted dissent would trigger massive European Union have criti-
Europe.” in Minsk to disperse an ac- criminal suspects posted on brain drain. cized the Aug. 9 presidential
She accused Lukashenko tion by students who were the Interior Ministry’s page. “Trampling on the law will election as neither free nor
of stealing the election and expressing solidarity with In recent years, Belarusian bring nothing good,” they fair and urged Belarusian au-
asked the U.N. to condemn classmates detained earlier. authorities have sought to said. “If it continues, thou- thorities to engage in a dia-
the crackdown on protesters, Officers rounded up several promote the IT sector in a sands of talented IT experts logue with the opposition, a
send a monitoring mission participants. bid to diversify the Soviet- will leave the country togeth- demand Lukashenko has dis-
to Belarus and call a special Later in the day, hundreds of style economy relying mostly er with their families in the missed.
session of its Human Rights students rallied in front of on aging heavy industries. It next few months. Belarus is “We’ve made very clear that
Council to discuss the situa- the university in a show of has expanded quickly over in big trouble, dreams about this election was not a real
tion in the country. defiance, chanting “Shame!” the past few years thanks to its future are dying before election. It was fraudulent;
“I call on the international In another part of the city, tax breaks and other benefits, our eyes.” it wasn’t fair,” U.S. Secretary
community to use all mecha- hundreds of IT workers generating a growing chunk A leading IT company, of State Mike Pompeo said
nisms to stop the violence, formed a human chain out- of government revenues. EPAM, has launched a train- Friday in an interview with
including sanctions on the side the High Technology The High Technology Park ing program that offers IT ca- conservative radio show host
individuals that commit- Park a day after the authori- in Minsk houses 750 IT com- reers to people who lost jobs Hugh Hewitt, adding that
ted electoral violations and ties raided one of the com- panies that employ 58,000 because of their support for the U.S. is working with its
crimes against humanity,” panies there and detained people and currently account the opposition. European partners to ensure
she said. several workers, including for more than 6% of the na- Seeking to stem the tide of basic freedoms for the Belar-
During the first few days of its top manager who was ac- tion’s GDP. protests, Belarusian authori- usian people.
post-election protests, police cused of financial abuses. When the post-election pro- ties have specifically targeted Facing Western criticism, the
detained nearly 7,000 people “Searches and arrests at big tests erupted, IT workers members of the Coordina- Belarusian leader has sought
and beat hundreds, draw- IT companies only cause a were quick to join the dem- tion Council that opposi- to secure support from Rus-
ing international outrage and wave of solidarity and fuel onstrations. Many talked tion activists set up after the sia, which has a union agree-
causing the anti-government protest,” said IT expert Dmi- about their plans to leave the election to try to negotiate a ment with Belarus envisaging
transition of power. Two of close political, economic and
its members were given 10- military ties. Russian Presi-
day jail sentences on charges dent Vladimir Putin has said
of staging unsanctioned pro- he is ready to send police to
tests last week, and a court in Belarus at Lukashenko’s re-
Laga nos Minsk handed them new 15- quest if the demonstrations
day sentences Thursday. turn violent.
Earlier this week, six Belaru- On a visit to Moscow on Fri-
sian journalists were detained day, the Belarusian defense
while covering a student minister accused the West of
demonstration and charged waging a “hybrid war against
ABUSO CONTRA MUCHA
kibra silencio yama: with taking part in unsanc- the Belarusian state,” apply-
tioned protests. During a ing unprecedented diplo-
Friday court hearing, police matic, political and economic
officers in ski masks testi- pressure.q