Watchdog

MINSK -- Syarhey Tsikhanouski, a jailed Belarusian vlogger who was arrested in May after he expressed willingness to take part in an August presidential election, has reportedly been charged with inciting social hatred, which would allow the authorities to extend his pretrial detention.

The Tut.by website quoted Tsikhanouski's lawyer, Viktar Matsekvich, on November 30 as saying that his client was "outraged at the new charge," which was made against him several days ago.

Tsikhanouski was arrested in late May and later charged with the organization and preparation of actions that severely violated public order and disrupting the work of the Central Election Commission.

According to his lawyer, Tsikhanouski was supposed to be released from pretrial detention in November, since there were no developments in the cases against him. By adding a new charge, the authorities found a way to keep Tsikhanouski in pretrial detention for another 18 months.

Tsikhanouski is the owner of a popular YouTube channel called The Country For Life, which frequently challenges the Belarusian authorities.

When Tsikhanouski's candidacy was rejected by election officials, his wife, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, took over and ran in the presidential election and became the main challenger to Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the authoritarian leader who has run the country since 1994.

The official results of the election handing victory to Lukashenka have sparked ongoing mass protests, with Tsikhanouskaya's supporters and opposition figures claiming she won the vote.

Lukashenka has overseen a violent crackdown on protesters by law enforcement that has seen thousands of people -- including media members -- detained and scores injured.

The European Union and the United States have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate ruler of Belarus, characterizing the election as fraudulent.

MINSK -- Belarusian activists say security forces have detained at least a dozen people as police broke up a protest march by pensioners demanding the resignation of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

The crackdown came a day after police said they'd fired warning shots to force the dispersal of a mass demonstration in Minsk on November 29 and detained hundreds of protesters.

More than 1,000 pensioners gathered in Minsk on November 30 to stage what they called a "March of Wisdom." But the demonstrators were divided into smaller groups that marched in different directions after being blocked by police along their planned route.

At least 12 people were detained in the November 30 crackdown, according to the Minsk-based Vyasna human rights center.

Crisis In Belarus

Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.

Belarus has seen nearly daily protests since election officials declared Lukashenka won a sixth presidential term in a disputed August 9 election.

Neither the European Union nor the United States have recognized Lukashenka's reelection. Both have noted widespread allegations of election fraud.

Belarusian opposition figures are calling for Lukashenka's resignation, the release of all political prisoners, and a new election.

Belarusian authorities have cracked down hard on the largely peaceful demonstrations.

There have been mass arrests and widespread complaints about demonstrators being tortured in custody.

On November 29, security forces used tear gas and stun grenades against protesters in Minsk.

"Security officers had to use special means -- a number of warning shots of stun rounds fired into the air and tear gas," Interior Ministry spokeswoman Volha Chamadanava wrote on Telegram on November 30.

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More Than 300 Reported Detained In Belarus At Anti-Lukashenka Marches

Chamadanava said a total of 313 people were detained on November 29 on charges of violating laws that forbid the holding of public gatherings.

Vyasna said it calculated that more than 420 protesters were detained across the country on November 29.

The rights group said most were taken into custody in Minsk, though there also were detentions in Brest, Hrodna, Baraulyany, and other towns and cities.

Demonstrations were reported in almost all districts of Minsk, making it difficult to estimate how many people participated in the protests overall.

Unrecognized Reelection

Presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whom the opposition says was the real winner of the August election, expressed support for the ongoing protests.

"Every week the regime claims that the protests are subsiding," she tweeted on November 29. "Every week the regime sends its forces with tear gas, stun grenades to beat & scare the Belarusian people. Yet they gather every week to protest peacefully against Lukashenka's regime."

Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus after the election under pressure from the authorities in Minsk and is currently in Lithuania.

During a visit to a Minsk hospital on November 27, Lukashenka implied that he would resign if a new constitution is adopted.

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Lukashenka Says He Will Leave Post When New Constitution Is Adopted

"I will not work as president with you under the new constitution," state media quoted him as saying.

Lukashenka has called several times for a new constitution, but the opposition has dismissed the statements as a bid to buy time and stay in power.