Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Scoop Link: Belarus rounds up Opposition supporters
Scoop Link: Belarus rounds up Opposition supporters
By Moscow correspondent Norman Hermant and wires
Security forces in Belarus have detained over 600 people, including seven opposition candidates, after smashing a mass rally protesting fraud in the landslide re-election of president Alexander Lukashenko.
Western governments have been quick to condemn the vote and the crackdown, with the United States saying it does not consider the election results legitimate.
According to the central election commission, Mr Lukashenko - described as Europe's last dictator by Washington - won the poll outright with 79.6 per cent of the vote on the back of a massive voter turnout of over 90 per cent. His nearest rival received less than 3 per cent in polls.
Many observers say the actual voting went smoothly, but counting the ballots was another story.
ENDS
Scoop
Scoop Independent News
Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.
Independent Media Institute: The Sustainability Scam: How Self-Interest Ruins Good Ideas
United Nations: UN Welcomes Ceasefire Between Israel And Lebanon
UN News: One Woman Killed Every 10 Minutes - The Harrowing Global Reality Of Femicide
Fulbright New Zealand: Announcing The 2025 Ian Axford Fellows In Public Policy
Steven Ratuva, The Conversation: COP29 - ‘Climate Finance’ For The Pacific Is Mostly Loans, Saddling Small Island Nations With More Debt
ITUC: Trade Unions In Action Against Gender-based Violence - 16 Days Of Activism