A Belarusian detainee arrested during the postelection protests flashes a sign from his prison cell in Minsk on December 23 that reads, "Victory is with us."
The United States and the European Union say they are reviewing their relations with Belarus after police in Minsk cracked down on mass opposition protests against the weekend vote that President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says he won in a landslide.
In their joint statement, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton also called on Belarusian authorities to release the more than 600 demonstrators arrested during the December 19 protest.
They say that "the elections and their aftermath represent an unfortunate step backwards in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights in Belarus," adding in a line reminiscent of a statement by the head of an OSCE/ODIHR short-term observer mission for the vote, "The people of Belarus deserve better."
Five former presidential candidates detained during the postelection protests, along with 14 other opposition activists, are facing possible charges of "organizing mass disorder," according to RFE/RL's Belarus Service, which has published a complete list of the 19 suspects.
All of the suspects are in the custody of the country's notorious KGB and investigations are continuing, according to Minsk police.
They could reportedly face up to 15 years in prison.
The detained candidates include poet Uladzimer Nyaklyaeu, who was beaten unconscious during the protest and subsequently snatched from his hospital bed by men in plainclothes. Lawyers have reportedly been denied access to Nyaklyaeu.
Belarus: Scenes Of The Crackdown
1/18Thousands of opponents of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka rallied in the center of Minsk to protest the election, which they say was rigged.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
2/18
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
3/18A man from among the group of protesters smashes a glass door of the parliament building during a rally denouncing the results of the presidential election.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
4/18An opposition supporter appeals to riot police for sympathy.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
5/18Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
6/18Riot police chase an opposition protester.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
7/18Presidential candidate Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu lies on a street after he was beaten during the rally in Minsk.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
8/18Supporters carry the injured Neklyayev to his campaign headquarters.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
9/18Opposition candidate Andrey Sannikau lies on a street after being beaten during a clash between protesters and police.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
10/18A supporter of presidential candidate Uladzimir Neklyayev is seen at his campaign headquarters after he was beaten.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
11/18
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
12/18
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
13/18
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
14/18
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
15/18
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
16/18Members of the Election Commission count ballots late on December 19 in Minsk. The incumbent, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, won in the first round with almost 80 percent of the vote.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
17/18An opposition supporter flashes a victory sign from a police bus near a detention center in Minsk.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
18/18A woman cries outside a prison in Minsk where hundreds of antigovernment protesters are being held.
Police in Belarus beat demonstrators with batons and rounded up opposition leaders in a violent crackdown after an election on December 19 that returned incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote.
Previous slide
Next slide
Lawyers for two other jailed candidates, Andrey Sannikau and Vitaly Rymashevsky, said their clients had been viciously beaten in detention.
Authorities have since clamped down hard on expressions of public dissatisfaction, including breaking up a would-be protest one day after the vote.
Some people have been holding candlelight vigils and visiting the Minsk detention facility in an effort to get news of the detainees' condition.
