MINSK -- Andrey Dzmitryeu, a prominent Belarusian activist who ran against authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka in a 2020 presidential election, has been detained as authorities continue to crack down on dissent and civil society in the country.
Dzmitryeu's colleagues and lawyer said on January 12 that the noted politician and former co-chairman of the Havary Praudu (Tell the Truth) opposition movement was detained the previous evening and is currently at the notorious Akrestsina detention center in Minsk.
It remains unclear why and on what charges Dzmitryeu was placed into custody.
The 41-year-old politician ran against Lukashenka in the August 2020 vote on a campaign to establish an interim government and hold another presidential election within one year.
The Central Election Commission said at the time that Dzmitryeu got 1.21 percent of votes.
Lukashenka, who has run the country with an iron fist since 1994, was announced as the winner in the election, which triggered unprecedented mass protests across the country that lasted for several months amid opposition cries that the balloting was rigged.
In the wake of the protests, Belarusian authorities have moved to shut down critical and non-state media outlets and human rights groups.
The opposition and Western governments say Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was driven into exile, won the vote.
Thousands were detained in the subsequent protests and there have been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment of detainees by security forces. Several people have died during the crackdown.
The 68-year-old Lukashenka has leaned heavily on Russian support amid Western sanctions while punishing the opposition and arresting or forcing abroad many of its leaders.
The United States, the European Union, and several other countries have refused to recognize Lukashenka's self-declared victory.
In August last year, police briefly detained Dzmitryyeu on unspecified charges.
In October, Belarusian authorities shut down Dzmitryyeu’s Havary Praudu opposition movement.