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WORLD NEWS Saturday 12 September 2020
Belarusian leader set to visit Russia as protests continue

By YURAS KARMANAU tion and again on Thursday
Associated Press evening.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belar- Latvian Foreign Minister Ed-
usian authorities detained gars Rinkevics tweeted Fri-
scores of demonstrators day that he had a call with
Friday while seeking to end Alexievich and "expressed
more than a month of pro- Latvia's full support to the
tests against the country's Belarusian society in the
authoritarian president, strive for political rights and
who is set to visit Russia to freedoms."
help shore up his hold on A leading member of the
power after 26 years in of- opposition council, Maria
fice. Kolesnikova, remained in
Protesters in Belarus have jail after resisting her forc-
spent a month denouncing ible expulsion from Belarus
the results of the country's on Tuesday. She alleged
Aug. 9 presidential election that officers of the nation's
as rigged and demanding state security agency ab-
the resignation of President ducted her and threat-
Alexander Lukashenko from ened to kill her and pushed
the sixth term he won. Fac- for a criminal probe into
ing criticism from the West, their actions.
Lukashenko has worked to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting as he visits Belarusian Academy of U.N. Secretary-General An-
cement ties with his main Sciences in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. tonio Guterres called on
ally and sponsor, Russia. Associated Press Belarus'authorities "to re-
He is set to head to Russia frain from the use of force
on Monday for talks with and Baranovichi, accord- up to 200,000 people have by the opposition to push against those engaging in
President Vladimir Putin ing to the Viasna human flooded the streets of the for a new election, accus- peaceful assembly and to
in the Black Sea resort of rights center in Minsk. capital. Another protest is ing them of undermining ensure that allegations of
Sochi. Some expect Be- "The threats and detentions set for this Sunday. national security. torture and other mistreat-
larusian authorities to take come before the protests After a brutal crackdown All of the council's senior ment of people in deten-
tougher actions against set for the weekend," the on peaceful demonstra- members except for Nobel tion are fully investigated
protesters ahead of the head of the center, Ales tors in the initial days after Prize-winning writer Svet- and addressed," U.N.
meeting. Bialitski, said. "Lukashenko the vote drew international lana Alexievich have been spokesman Stephane Du-
At least nine protesters were would very much like to outrage and swelled the either jailed or forcibly ex- jarric said Friday.
detained Friday outside a show the Kremlin that the opposition ranks, Belarusian pelled from the country. The United States and the
court in Belarus's capital, protests are abating and authorities have sought to Unidentified people at- European Union have criti-
Minsk, as they rallied in soli- he controls the situation, squelch the dissent by tar- tempted Wednesday to cized Belarus' election as
darity with industrial work- but so far repressions have geting top activists. enter Alexievich's apart- neither free nor fair and
ers defending their right to had the opposite effect." Prosecutors have launched ment in Minsk, and diplo- urged Lukashenko to en-
launch a strike. Police de- The post-election protests a criminal probe against mats from several Europe- gage in talks with the op-
tained more protesters in have attracted the biggest top members of the Coor- an Union nations gathered position, which he has
the cities of Vitebsk, Gomel crowds on Sundays, when dination Council created there to prevent her deten- rejected.q
Humanitarian ship takes 27 migrants from Danish tanker

MILAN (AP) — Twenty- port to disembark. search and rescue area
seven migrants who have The 185-meter-long (610- where the migrants were
grown increasingly dis- foot) tanker, the Maersk picked up on Aug. 5. It has
tressed aboard a Danish Etienne, had sounded an requested that Malta au-
tanker since being rescued alarm that food and fresh thorities "disembark these
at sea more than a month water were running low, people in urgent need of
ago have been transferred amid a worsening situation treatment." Most are from
to a humanitarian rescue with three migrants having northern Africa, and they
ship, a nongovernmental jumped overboard and the include a pregnant woman
organization said Friday. threat of a hunger strike. and a child.
Mediterranea Saving Hu- "Our medical team found While the fate of the mi-
mans immediately ap- them in serious psycho- grants remained unclear,
pealed to Malta to offer a physical conditions that the shipping company
safe port, after taking the make it impossible for them Maersk Tankers said a
migrants on board its ship to stay on the petrol tank- statement that the Etienne Migrants on the Danish-flagged tanker Maersk Etienne wait to
Mare Jonio. er," Mediterranea Saving would head to a "suitable be transferred on the Mediterranea NGO's Mare Jonio rescue
The migrants have been Humans tweeted. port" to debrief the crew ship, background, in the Mediterranean Sea, Friday, Sept. 11,
caught in a standoff since The Maltese government "and ensure they too get 2020.
being rescued by the has said that that the res- the care they need." Associated Press
Danish-flagged chemical cue occurred in Tunisia's "We are relieved and Tommy Thomassen, chief this unprecedented situa-
tanker from a flimsy fishing search and rescue area. grateful. The rescued per- technical officer of Maersk tion, we are at the same
boat just before it sank in Despite Malta's insistence, sons can now finally get the Tankers. "While we are ap- time deeply concerned
the central Mediterranean Mediterranea Saving Hu- medical care they need preciative of the support that it has not been possi-
on Aug. 5. Neither Italy nor mans said Friday that Mal- and our crew can continue from Mediterranea in help- ble to find a solution to the
Malta has offered a safe ta was responsible for the their voyage safely," said ing us to bring a closure to situation before now."q