Belarusian police arrest hundreds at rally after protester dies from police beating

More than 400 people were detained at the protest, according to Belarusian human rights groups

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Police in Belarus arrested hundreds of people who turned out to demonstrate against dictator Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday, amid a fresh wave of anger over a protestor who died after being beaten by officers last week. 

Mass protests broke out in the eastern European country three months ago after Mr Lukashenko claimed victory in an election widely denounced as fraudulent. 

Rallies have continued every week, despite a harsh response from police and the deaths of at least four demonstrators. 

Police on Sunday used tear gas and stun grenades on the crowd, injuring several people, according to local media. Mobile internet access was limited and more than a dozen metro stations in the capital Minsk were closed.

More than 400 people were detained, according to Belarusian rights activists.

A demonstrator wearing a historical white-red-white flag at the rally on November 15

Credit: Reuters

The thousands-strong demonstration was held in honour of Roman Bondarenko, a 31-year-old anti-government protestor who died a night after he was attacked by plainclothes police. 

Mr Bondarenko, who had previously served in the special forces, was involved in grass-roots activism. He was beaten after chasing officers away from a Minsk square that has become a popular protest venue. 

The Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who claimed victory in the August election but later fled the country after apparent threats to her children, described the crackdown on protests as “devastating”. 

“We ask our allies to stand up for the Belarusian people and human rights. We need a humanitarian corridor for the injured, support for the media, international investigation of crimes,” she said.

She said Mr Bondarenko “was killed because he wanted to live in a free country”.

The EU and UK have sanctioned Mr Lukashenko over the violent police crackdown. Last week, London expelled two Belarusian diplomats after Minsk declared two British officials persona non grata. 

Belarus claimed they were involved in activities that were “incompatible with their diplomatic status” but Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said they were legitimately observing protests.

Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for 26 years, has resisted calls to stand down, clinging onto power with the backing of the security services and financial support from the Kremlin.