Belarus’s main opposition leader says she took a “very difficult decision” to leave the country, after disputing an election result she claimed was rigged.
In a YouTube video, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said she did it for her children as protests continued for a second night. One person has died.
A second video, apparently filmed when she was detained on Monday and showing her reading a script, has also emerged.
She was “safe” now in Lithuania, the country’s foreign minister said.
Poll results gave President Alexander Lukashenko 80% of the vote, but there have been numerous claims of fraud.
Violent clashes between police and protesters have broken out over the two nights since the election was held, and there have been numerous reports of police brutality.
Mr Lukashenko, 65, who has ruled the former Soviet country since 1994, has described opposition supporters as “sheep” controlled from abroad.
But Ms Tikhanovskaya has galvanised the opposition, which presented a stronger than ever challenge to the autocratic leader. The 37-year-old announced her candidacy after her husband was arrested and blocked from registering for the vote.
When she attempted to register a complaint about the results on Monday she was detained for seven hours.
Situation gets weirder: In video apparently recorded before she left Belarus, reading from script, Tikhanovskaya calls on Belarusians to accept Lukashenko’s “victory” and stop protesting. We know she was held incommunicado at election commission yday. Seems this happened there. pic.twitter.com/eWb93Vcxap
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) August 11, 2020
UPDATE: Tikhanovskaya speaks: Clearly distressed, she says she left Belarus for her children’s sake. “God forbid you have to face the choice I had to face.” pic.twitter.com/6mA0dYLGkl
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) August 11, 2020
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