2020–2021 Belarusian protests

2020 Belarusian protests
Part of the Belarusian democracy movement and the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election
Protests on 16 August 2020 in Minsk
Date	24 May 2020 – present (4 years, 5 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location	Belarus
Caused by	Political repression and authoritarianism Arrest of opposition presidential candidates Viktar Babaryka and Sergei Tikhanovsky Persistent electoral fraud in the country's elections Alexander Lukashenko seeking another presidential term in the 2020 Belarusian presidential election Government handling of the COVID-19 pandemic Economic and social policies of the government
Goals	Resignation of Alexander Lukashenko Resignation of the government New free and fair presidential elections Release of political prisoners Ending police brutality Recount of the presidential election
Methods	Demonstrations Protest marches Online activism Road blockades Civil disobedience General strike
Parties
Opposition: Christian Democrats Green Party Women's Party File:PartyofProgressBY.png Party of Freedom and Progress Social Democratic Assembly Young Front Social Democratic Party United Civic Party A Just World Popular Front Minsk City Police Department (parts) Coordination Council (since 14 August) Supported by: Rada of the BPR (in exile) United States United Kingdom Canada European Union Lithuania Poland Latvia Estonia Czech Republic Slovakia Ireland Netherlands Philippines Government: AMAP/OMON KGB Ministry of Internal Affairs Internal Troops Almaz Militsiya Minsk City Police Department (parts) 38th Guards Air Assault Brigade Presidential Security Service (parts) Political parties: Communist Party Patriotic Party Agrarian Party LDPB Public associations: Belaya Rus Republican Youth Union Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus Supported by: Russia China
Lead figures
S. Tsikhanouskaya (with husband Sergei) V. Babaryka V. Tsepkalo (with wife Veronika) M. Kalesnikava A. Lukashenko L. Yermoshina Y. Karayeu
Number
16 August: Minsk: 300,000–400,000 Grodno: ~40,000 Mogilev: 10,000+ 23 August: Minsk: ~250,000 across the country: ~500,000 16 August: Minsk: ~5,000 Total: ~100,000 police and soldiers
Casualties and losses
200+ injured 4+ dead 7,000+ arrested 50 missing 103 injured
At least a few journalists wounded

The 2020 Belarusian protests are a series of political demonstrations against the Belarusian government and President Alexander Lukashenko. The demonstrations, which are part of the Belarusian democracy movement, began in the lead-up to and during the 2020 presidential election, in which Lukashenko sought a sixth term in office. In response, a number of relatively small pro-Lukashenko demonstrations were held.

On 14 August, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya claimed that she had received 60–70% of the vote and announced the creation of the Coordination Council, with membership applications open to all Belarusians who agreed that the election had been falsified.

Background

Alexander Lukashenko has been the head of state of Belarus since 1994, and has not had a serious challenger in the previous five elections, resulting in him being called "Europe's last dictator." Under his authoritarian rule, the government has frequently repressed opposition.

Lukashenko had faced greater public opposition amid his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which Lukashenko has denied as a serious threat. Of the five elections won by Lukashenko, only the first was credibly deemed free and fair by international monitors.

During the presidential campaign, presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stated that the people of Belarus had to find a way to protect their vote. According to an interview with Franak Viačorka, son of opposition leader Vincuk Viačorka, the protests against Lukashenko have been "leaderless".

Before the election

The nickname "cockroach" for Lukashenko was adopted from Korney Chukovsky's 1921 children's poem Tarakanishche (The Monster Cockroach).

The protests, nicknamed the Slipper Revolution and the Anti-Cockroach Revolution, were initiated by businessman and blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky when he made a reference to the children's poem The Monster Cockroach (Russian: Тараканище, romanized: Tarakanishche) by Korney Chukovsky.

The original story, published in 1923, concerns a dictatorial yet fragile insect and his brief, chaotic reign of terror over all the other animals. It has been compared to The Emperor's New Clothes. In his reference, Tikhanovsky compared Lukashenko to the cockroach in the story. In the original poem, the cockroach is eventually eaten by a sparrow; Tikhanovsky refers to a slipper signifying stamping on the cockroach.

Tikhanovsky traveled across Belarus and streamed interviews with random people on his YouTube channel Country for life (Russian: Страна для жизни, romanized: Strana dlya zhizni). Most of his respondents expressed disagreement with Lukashenko and the current government.

Tikhanovsky was detained in late May 2020 by Belarusian authorities, and was formally accused of being a foreign agent. In June 2020, street protests against Lukashenko took place. Several opposition candidates were registered for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, but many of them were arrested.

During an interview, Lukashenko claimed that the opposition protests were a part of a plot orchestrated by foreigners, whom he suggested might be Americans, NATO members, Russians, or even Ukrainians. On 19 June, Lukashenko announced that he had "foiled a coup attempt", resulting in the arrest of main opposition rival Viktar Babaryka. According to CNN, Babaryka stated that the charges of bribery and corruption were falsified and the arrest was politically motivated to stop him from winning the presidential election.

As soon as Babaryka was detained by authorities, people started walking in the streets to demonstrate their disagreement. Opposition activists, protesters, journalists, and bloggers have also been arrested as part of the crackdown. The human rights group Viasna estimated that about 1,300 people had been detained for protesting between early May and early August.

Tikhanovsky's wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya registered as a candidate in the upcoming election after the arrest of Babaryka. Lukashenko insisted the constitution was not ready for women to become president. Unregistered candidate Valeriy Tsepkalo's wife Veronika Tsepkalo announced that she and Maria Kalesnikava, head of the Babaryka's presidential campaign staff, would join and provide support to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

The protests have led to questions of how long the conflict may last for, and whether it will escalate into violence, possibly evolving into a full revolution, akin to how the Euromaidan protests turned into a revolution in Ukraine in 2014. The German Marshall Fund, a US think tank, noted that the protests were more widespread, and more brutally repressed, than previous protests in Belarus.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reported that it would not be monitoring the 2020 election as it had not been invited to do so. This was the first time since 2001 the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) did not monitor elections in Belarus. The OSCE has not recognized any elections in Belarus as free and fair since 1995, and the government has obstructed past OSCE election-monitoring missions in the country.

Presidential campaign

Opposition candidate Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya in Minsk on 30 July

On 29 July 33 alleged mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, were arrested in a sanatorium near Minsk. Lukashenko accused Russia of lying about the arrested "mercenaries", saying "So far there is no open warfare, no shooting, the trigger has not yet been pulled, but an attempt to organize a massacre in the center of Minsk is already obvious." Belarusian authorities claimed that Tikhanovsky was working with Russians to destabilize Belarus. All but one of the mercenaries, who is a Belarusian national and remains in custody, were deported to Russia on 14 August despite a request from Ukraine for their extradition.

On 30 July, a permitted rally of presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya took place in the Friendship of Peoples Park in Minsk. According to human rights activists, 63,000–70,000 people gathered, but a statement from the Belarusian Interior Ministry alleged that only 18,250 people had been recorded passing through the metal-detecting checkpoints set up at the event.

On 6 August, an estimated 5,000 peaceful protesters took to the streets in Minsk, waving white ribbons, calling for free and fair elections.

Election day

Main article: 2020 Belarusian presidential election

File:Legendary photo rally Belarus.jpg

The original Belarusian white-red-white flag, official from 1991 to 1995, became the most well-known symbol of protest.

Protests during election night

On 9 August 2020, all roads and entry points to Minsk were blocked by the police and army early in the morning.

In the middle of the day, the Internet in Belarus was partially blocked. Government officials claimed that the reason was a heavy denial-of-service attack originating from outside Belarus. On the other hand, independent IT specialists claimed that the Belarusian state Internet monopolist Beltelecom and affiliated state agencies deliberately used deep packet inspection (DPI) technology or traffic shaping, and that issues with the filtering equipment used may have been the cause. Telegram was the only working instant messaging application.

In the evening of the election day immediately after the close of polling stations, the Belarusian government-sponsored TV aired exit poll results showing a supposed landslide in which Lukashenko got 80.23% of the votes, while Tsikhanouskaya received only 9.9%. The landslide was so great that even the pro-government part of the Belarusian population found that it was unlikely to be true. This caused an immediate reaction by supporters of Tsikhanouskaya to head to the streets in all major cities in Belarus, such as Brest, Minsk, Vitebsk, Grodno, Mazyr, Pinsk, Gomel, and Babruysk. People were doing so to express their dissatisfaction and were calling for a fair count of votes. This started as peaceful protests in the middle of the night, but in Minsk, the situation turned into a fight between some people and the authorities. People started building barricades to block the traffic on the streets. It was hard to estimate the number of protesters in Minsk because the protesters were not concentrated in a single spot.

At night, after breaking up big crowds, police officers chased smaller groups of protesters through downtown Minsk for several hours. A fight against security forces and police continued in all major cities in Belarus. Law enforcement officers used police batons, rubber bullets (fired from shotguns), grenades with lead balls, water cannons, tear gas, and flashbangs. They used it to suppress the protests as people were chased in the suburbs all night. In Brest, protesters gradually dispersed, leaving a crowd of 200–300 from an estimated previous total of 5,000. That night in Minsk, security forces were dropping grenades near people, and some people received critical injuries.

It was one of the biggest protests since Belarus' independence. Security forces arrested around 3,000 people overnight. Some of the protesters were seriously injured, with at least 50 protesters being taken to the hospital, some of them were in critical condition and one of the protesters died.

Some people were reported to be arrested while waiting for election results near their polling stations. In Minsk, a 73-year-old man with a daughter and grandchildren were arrested with nearly 20 other people who gathered near the 86th school after the closure of the polling station. It was reported that they were sentenced to 10 and 25 days in jail. In Baranavichy, two Roman Catholic priests were arrested among others: they were waiting for the results near the polling station.

Post-election

First week (9–15 August)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, in a summary of events during protests in the night of 11–12 August, noted that in several cities, "there were facts of open confrontation with the law enforcement agencies". In Brest, they also reported "a group of aggressively minded citizens with fittings in their hands attacked police officers." The ministry also stated that "five deliberate raids with the use of cars" were committed to law enforcement officers during the day. In Zhodzina, Minsk Region, after such a collision, a soldier was hospitalized with multiple injuries.

Protesters in Minsk on 14 August

As the protests swept across Belarus following the election results, the primary opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya published a video saying that she left Belarus for Lithuania. She was presumed to have been coerced to leave while also submitting a complaint to the CEC (Central Election Commission of Belarus). She was detained by CEC for seven hours.

In the evening, the protests continued in all major cities of Belarus, including Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Baranavichy, Maladzyechna, Navahrudak, Novopolotsk, Zhodzina. In Minsk, protesters changed their tactics, switching positions from one part of the city to another, similar to the "be water" tactics used in the 2019–20 protesters in Hong Kong. Protesters barricaded the area around the Riga Market in the center of Minsk. Government forces responded by tear-gassing the protesters and using flashbangs. Authorities threw flashbangs and fired rubber bullets at the protesters at close range. A protester, Alexander Taraikovsky, died near Pushkinskaya metro station.

The flashbangs purportedly originated in the Czech Republic, which had imposed an embargo on selling flashbangs to Belarus after the suppression of the 2010 elections.

One of the female lines of solidarity and protest in Minsk (13 August)

The government's riot police (AMAP/OMON), internal troops, and anti-terrorist "Almaz" elite special force participated in the suppression of the protests in Minsk. Water cannons were also used near the Riga Market, and rubber bullets were widely used everywhere. Mass protests were reported. It was reported that AMAP/OMON squads seized some ambulances or used visually similar vans to deceive the protesters into allowing them through the barricades.

Five days later, the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta wrote that the beatings and arrests that occurred on 10 August 2020, were ordered by the retired commander of Military Unit 3214 of the Internal Troops of Belarus, Dmitri Pavlichenko. He had been previously arrested for serious crimes.

On 11 August, the protests resumed in Minsk and other major cities. Rubber bullets and flashbangs were widely used. The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that it used live ammunition against protesters in Brest. One death was reported, as one man, Gennady Shutov, in critical condition and with severe brain damage as of 14 August, succumbed to his injuries on 19 August in Minsk.

On 11 August 2020 Molotov cocktails began to be thrown at security officials in Minsk. Activists built barricades and began to burn tires near the capital's shopping center "Riga", the area near which will become one of the main places of clashes between activists and law enforcement officers. Telegram channel NEXTA, used by the opposition, published messages alleging violence by law enforcement officers, which were not always accompanied by video or photo confirmation. Telegram published aggressive vocabulary against law enforcement, such as "punishers" and "fascists". Telegram was one of the few accessible resources during a concurrent internet blackout and VPN usage was ubiquitous, with Psiphon usage skyrocketing.

In Gomel, a 25-year-old man died on 12 August after waiting in a security forces detainee van for many hours in hot weather. He had a heart condition and wasn't given proper medical attention in time. Also, in Gomel, relatives, and friends of over 500 arrested people were not allowed to visit them. The local police did not tell them anything about their relatives' fate. It was also reported that the policewoman abused an arrested woman there.

Protesters in Minsk on 15 August

During widespread protests in Grodno, a 5-year-old was injured, and their father arrested after the car they were in was rammed by government forces.

On 12 August, people in Minsk and later in other cities started to line up on streets to protest against the government's brutal suppression. The majority of the protesters were women wearing white clothes. Former members of the Belarusian military, police, and special forces expressed their solidarity with the opposition by publishing videos publicly throwing their uniforms in the garbage, condemning violent acts by the security forces, calling on the authorities to stop opposing the will of the people.

On the same day, the Belarus Interior Minister stated that a "shoot to kill" policy in cases of selfdefence was permitted.

In many places in Minsk, riot police were observed moving in ambulances and shooting at people, stopping near crowds, which is a violation of the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

On 13 August, many lines of protesters demonstrating in solidarity against violence by the police were observed, including thousands of women dressed in white. Strikes of workers in several state-owned factories also took place.

External images
Protesters in Minsk
Protesters in Minsk
Female first line of protesters in Minsk
Protesters and government troops in Brest
Protesters in Homiel
Wounded protester
Government troops
Water cannons in use
Barricade in Minsk (graffiti "3%" refers to the protesters' view at the approval rating of Lukashenko)
AMAP/OMON beating protesters and passers-by
Trucks with government troopers in Minsk
Arrest
Arrest of a biker
AMAP/OMON trooper beating random passer-by
Internal trooper firing a shotgun
"Almaz" anti-terrorist squad; one of them has GM-94 portable grenade launcher
Protester beaten up in a detention center

Numerous reports of different law violations in Belarusian prisons (severe overcrowding, beating, and outrages against prisoners, including torture) were submitted.

Protest rally in Minsk, 16 August

Protest rally in Mogilev, 16 August

On 14 August, peaceful protests continued nationwide. Working-class people from Minsk Tractor Works also joined the protest in front of the Government House in Minsk. They took part in a massive march carrying banners claiming that 16,000 workers are supporting this protest. A group of soldiers guarding the building lowered their shields, "appearing to side with the protesters".

There were multiple incidents of police expressing support for and even embracing protesters.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya asked Belarusian authorities to stop the violence, "engage in dialogue", and call on mayors to organise peaceful rallies across the country over the weekend.

On 15 August, post-election protests continued to grow. For the first time, government-supported television demonstrated episodes of what is happening on the Belarussian streets without any censor. They streamed a farewell ceremony for the murdered during a peaceful protest on 10 August. The Associated Press released a video showing the moment when Alexander Taraikovsky was killed.

It was reported that President Lukashenko's authorities asked Kremlin representatives about the possibility of Lukashenko escaping to Russia. Furthermore, it was reported that Russia admits that Lukashenko's resignation from the head of state is likely. The editor-in-chief of the anti-government website Charter 97 claimed that Russian troops were concentrated along the Belarus-Russia border in preparation for a potential invasion, possibly within the next 48 hours.Although it was also reported that Lukashenko spoke to President Putin with both sides expressing confidence that all existing problems would be settled soon, the possibility of foreign mediation was firmly rejected by Lukashenko.

Peaceful demonstrations have taken place in several cities, including Moscow, where 400 mainly wore white formed a chain near the Belarusian Embassy in support of the protesters.

Some protesters in Minsk expressed solidarity with the anti-government Khabarovsk Krai protests in the Russian Far East.

Support for the protesters came from Slovakian officials, including Slovakia's ambassador of Belarus to Slovakia, Igor Leshchenya, Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová, tweeted a message of support for the protesters; the Presidential Palace in Bratislava was illuminated in the colours of the historical flag of Belarus.

File:2020 Belarusian protests — Babrujsk, 16 August 004.jpg

Protest rally in Babruysk, 16 August

On 16 August, Lukashenko's supporters were bused into Minsk from various places across the country for a pro-Lukashenko rally, which had a much smaller turnout than the opposition demonstrations, which were the largest yet. The Belarusian Interior Ministry claimed a turnout of 65,000 at the pro-Lukashenko rally. A Reuters reporter estimated a turnout of 5,000. In a rambling speech to supporters, Lukashenko said he would not step down; claimed that NATO was amassing "military power on the western borders"; and warned supporters not to mess with Lukashenko or they will be beggars and struggle to live. Lukashenko also rejected calls for fresh elections. NATO rejected Lukashenko's claims. Directly before the speech, Lukashenko called Russian President Putin for the second time in two days.

Opposition groups called for a "National March for Freedom" in Minsk and similar marches to occur in cities and towns across the country. Supporters were asked to converge on government buildings and call for the immediate release of all political prisoners, for those responsible for the deaths and torture of protesters to be brought to justice and for the resignation of Alexander Lukashenko. Organizers estimated 100,000–220,000 people were attending the Minsk demonstration. Many were carrying red and white flags. The Belarusian press reported that persons in civilian clothes made arbitrary detentions of opposition supporters after the Minsk rally. Later that evening, it was reported that former Prime Minister of Belarus, Syarhey Rumas, who was dismissed by Lukashenko in June 2020, had posted a message of support for the anti-Lukashenko protesters on his Instagram account. Earlier, Rumas's wife had published a photograph of herself and Rumas on the roof of a building overlooking the protests and a message of support.

Second week (16–22 August)

Lukashenko had announced that an air assault brigade would hold week-long un-scheduled maneuvers starting 17 August in western Belarus before announcing that NATO forces were "at the gates" and threatening the country, prompting President Putin to offer military assistance, opening a possibility of Belarus being taken over through annexation or a "union state". In the early morning of 17 August, several military trucks carrying unmarked soldiers were spotted heading towards Minsk on M1 "Belarus" highway in Russia.

17 August saw Lukashenko booed and shouted at when he gave a speech at a Minsk wheel tractor plant. He told the audience they would have to kill him to get another election. Meanwhile, a broadcast by the state TV showed empty news desks as TV presenters had walked out on strike. and members of the European Parliament issued a joint statement, stating that they did not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the president of Belarus and considered him a persona non grata in the European Union. The joint statement also proclaimed that reliable information shows that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya won the election.

On 17 August 2020, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya released a video in which she stated that she was ready to lead a transitional government and organize a new, free and fair presidential election. Lukashenko conceded that an early presidential election could be held if a new constitution is adopted, after it has been drafted and a referendum is held and passed. The Prime Minister of Belarus, Roman Golovchenko, and cabinet resigned on 17 August 2020 in accordance with the constitution following an election.

Pavel Latushko, director of the Janka Kupala National Theatre in Minsk and former minister of culture, who had previously condemned the violence and cautiously supported the protests, was fired by the Belarusian Ministry of Culture.

Countrywide strikes

Miners of the Belaruskaly potash company in Salihorsk went on strike, refusing to go down the mines, and BMZ Steel Works in Zhlobin suspended work of the steel furnaces. BMZ workers announced to start an indefinite strike if their requirements are not met. Thousands of workers of Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ), Minsk Automobile Works (MAZ), Minsk Motor Works (MMZ; ru), Minsk electrotechnical factory (METZ; ru) and other factories marched through the city to the headquarters of the biggest state TV company and other locations. BelAZ workers in Zhodzina were intimidated by the company management, and their protest rally was postponed. A number of other factories suspended work temporarily (warning strike) or organized rallies with political demands (including Naftan oil refinery and "Polimir" chemical factory in Novapolatsk, glass fiber factory in Polatsk, Grodno-Azot fertilizer factory).

It was reported that 76 people disappeared during the protests in Belarus as of 17 August, because they are not on the lists of arrested and convicted. Igor Leshchenya, the Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia who sided with the protesters and the first official to do so, said that he does not think there is a threat of Russian military intervention, stating that it was in the interests of Russia to "to support new free and fair elections". He also said that a new election was inevitable.

On 18 August, it was reported that international companies in retail, banks, mobile, and food sectors have started pulling their advertising campaigns from Belarusian TV channels, including the state TV. German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Vladimir Putin, saying that the Belarusian government must avoid using force against peaceful protesters, immediately release political prisoners and start a national dialogue. In response, Putin warned Merkel that foreign interference in the ex-Soviet state would be unacceptable. The Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia, Igor Leshchenya, resigned, along with four other diplomats.

The troupe of Janka Kupala National Theater in Minsk resigned en-masse. The Government of the Republic of Estonia confirmed that they did not recognise the election results. An extract of a letter from Maria Kolesnikova (a member of Tikhanovskaya's headquarters) was published by Ekho Moskvy radio station stating that Belarus should respect all of its existing agreements with Russia, that Russia was an important partner (within the Union State of Russia and Belarus), and that recent tensions were because of Lukashenko.

Workers from various additional factories and postal workers joined the strikes and the Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belorusi newspaper said it was unable to print its Tuesday edition focusing on historic protests over the weekend, before announcing it had secured another printer that would produce its print edition a day late.

The Belarusian Telegraph Agency issued a misleading video purporting to show Belarusian protesters being violent. Pictures from Belarus were mixed with pictures from the 2019 protests in Catalonia. Demonstrations supporting Lukashenko took place in Mogilev, Gomel, and Khotsimsk. During the pro-Lukashenko rally in Mogliev, a helicopter flew over the attendees with the state flag, while a large state flag was blown off the local government building where it was hung. In Mogilev, one of the activists marching near the executive committee building was deliberately injured by a hit-and-run driver, with no medically significant outcome. In a statement made on 18 August 2020, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko stated that, "to date, all enterprises in the real sector of the economy are operating normally, conveyers are not stopped anywhere."

On 19 August, the OMON forces dispersed the protesters that had gathered in the morning at the entrance to Minsk Tractor Works; two people were detained. 300 employees at the Minsk Tractor Works reportedly lost their jobs for demonstrating. Other workers were locked in the factory to stop them from walking out. The same day, Alexei Petkevich, endoscopist and employee of the Republican Clinical Medical Center in Minsk, announced that on 14 August, he resigned his job in protest of the mass beatings of the detained protesters, stating, "I was shocked by what I saw. Our people were humiliated and torn to pieces". Natalya Volvacheva, the headmaster of Polotsk school No. 5, also resigned in protest, saying, "My colleagues have been broken down by threats, turned into criminals, and made hostages of the system".

Over 200 Belarusian sportsmen and sportswomen, sports journalists and employees of the sports sphere (Yelena Leuchanka, Nikolai Kozeko, Volha Mazuronak, Maryna Arzamasova, Aliaksandra Ramanouskaya, Stepan Popov, and many others) signed an open letter to Alexander Lukashenko, where, among other things, demanded that the last presidential election be invalidated, all the persons detained during the protests be released, all the political prisoners be released and rehabilitated, and those responsible of the beatings and "bestial abuses" of the detainees be identified and punished. Human Rights Watch noted that most of the protests had been peaceful and described the police round-ups as "systemically brutal." The Belarusian central election committee said that Mr. Lukashenko would be inaugurated as president for a new term within the next two months. Lukashenko has ordered the police to quell all protests in Minsk and has tightened border controls, checks have been introduced on people entering the TV station, and all state workers have been told they will lose their jobs if they protest, with workers reportedly being brought in from Russia to replace striking workers. Two pro-Lukashenko rallies were held in Barysaw and Babruysk, both of which also featured police helicopters with the state flag. A second pro-Lukashenko rally was also held in Minsk. Others were held in the towns of Luninets and Staryya Darohi.

Most of the staff of Radio Stalitsa of the state-owned National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus resigned in solidarity with the demonstrators. There currently are no broadcasts on the station except for sports news. A demonstration of hundreds chanting "resign" and "let them out" in the evening outside the Interior Ministry in Minsk was allowed to continue peacefully with no police interference.

Line of protest against violence ("Never again") from Kurapaty memorial to Akrestsina detention center, Minsk, 21 August

On 20 August, Alexander Konyuk, Prosecutor General of Belarus, initiated criminal proceedings against the members of the Coordination Council under Article 361 of the Belarusian Criminal Code, on the grounds of attempting to seize state power and harming national security. Council members Sergei Dylevsky and Maxim Znak were summoned for police questioning. Four members of the security forces resigned in solidarity with the demonstrators. Lukashenko has called some of the protesters "Nazis". Another pro-Lukashenko rally was held in Minsk at Independence Square, with another helicopter bearing a state flag flying over the demonstrators. At the same time, a separate rally was also held at the Lenin monument in front of the Government House in Minsk, only to be outnumbered by anti-Lukashenko demonstrators. In response, some pro-Lukashenko demonstrators joined the opposition protest, while others left the rally. Traffic in Minsk was halted by a drivers strike honking their horns and abandoning their vehicles in support of protesters. A small group of Lukashenko supporters were seen in Hrodna handing out state flags and other pro-government material to passersby. A pro-government rally was held at a stadium in Slutsk, after which, rally attendees approached a solidarity chain formed by opponents of Lukashenko and attempted to snatch Belarusian opposition flags from the protesters.

On 21 August, presidential candidate Hanna Kanapatskaya filed an appeal against the official election result with the Supreme Court of Belarus. French President Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany offered to mediate between the Government of Belarus, the opposition, and civil society. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a press conference for the international media in which she said she hoped to return Belarus when it is safe for her to do so. She urged all countries to respect the sovereignty and called on protesters to step up their strikes despite "intimidation". Chair of the Belarus Athletic Federation, Olympic athlete and former member of the House of Representatives, Vadim Devyatovskiy, posted a message on his Facebook page in which he stated "Lukashenko is not my President!!!!!" and that his previous support for the regime was a "delusion" and "betrayal". The leader of the strike at Minsk automobile plant, Yevgeny Bokhvalov, had been arrested whilst an organiser of the strike at the Belaruskali potash factory in Soligorsk, Dmitry Kudelevich was detained before escaping through a toilet window and fleeing to Ukraine. The Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, current chairperson of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said OSCE was going to Minsk to meet with the government and the opposition to look at mediation. A pro-government rally was held in Gomel where tractors could be seen waving the state flag. A small number of cars could also be seen waving the state flag by Independence Square in Minsk.

On 22 August, the Chairman of the Grodno Region Executive Committee, Vladimir Kravtsov, was dismissed by Lukashenko and replaced by former health minister Vladimir Karanik. Lukashenko appeared at a pro-government rally in Grodno later that afternoon. During the rally, Lukashenko called on the military to defend the western border of Belarus, accusing Warsaw and Vilnius of being behind the protests. The president warned that "this is not only our border, this is the border of the Union State, this is the CSTO border, and the answer will be appropriate." He also defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying "You didn't believe me when I said, 'You don't need to isolate people.' What are Westerners saying now?" Lukashenko called out striking workers from the state-owned Grodnozhilbud construction company, saying "We will do even without Grodnozhilbud, we have enough builders in the country", and also called out priests participating in the protests, quoting that "People should come to the temples to pray. Churches...are not for politics." Several journalists were detained at the rally. Opposition supporters organised a woman's march against police violence in Minsk which culminated in a vigil at Independence Square where the assembled crowd was addressed by Maria Kalesnikava and Pavel Latushko. Opposition rallies were also held in Grodno and Brest.

Third week (23–29 August)

Rally against Lukashenko. Minsk, 23 August

On 23 August, a rally of approximately 250,000 people dubbed "the march for a new Belarus" began at 14:00 in Minsk and headed towards Independence Square. Similar rallies were also organised in other cities and towns across the country. Human chains in solidarity for the Belarusian democracy movement have been organised in other countries, including one that will stretch from Vilnius to the border with Belarus. Military vehicles were seen on the streets of Minsk and road blocks and checkpoints were established on the main roads leading into the city. The army also assumed responsibility for the protection of statues and monuments from local police forces. The area around the Belarusian Great Patriotic War Museum, where protesters had gathered the previous week, was blocked off with barbed wire. It was reported that people were detained by armed officers in military uniform near the museum. The rally later passed the museum where Maria Kalesnikava urged participants to not antagonise security personnel.

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Government troopers near residence of Lukashenko in Minsk, 23 August

Lukashenko with a gun arrived by helicopter in the Palace of Independence

Later in the afternoon, the rally moved onward toward State Flag Square and the Independence Palace where protesters faced off against security forces who had set up a road block. It has been reported that Alexander Lukashenko is in residence at the Independence Palace. There were also reports that a presidential helicopter was seen heading towards the palace and that it had landed in the grounds at 19:05. Footage later emerged showing Lukashenko walking near the helicopter, wearing a bullet proof vest and holding an AKS-74U without a magazine and then walking around the palace grounds. In the latter footage, Lukashenko was heard saying "Leave me alone," and "There is no one left there, right?". His 15-year-old son, Nikolai, was seen with him dressed in military uniform and holding a gun. In a third video, he is seen surveying protesters from a helicopter and is heard saying "How the rats ran away" in an apparent reference to the protesters. In a fourth video, Lukashenko was seen removing the former flag of Belarus from a flower bed, waving at security personnel whilst telling them they are "handsome" and in reference to protesters, saying "we will deal with them". Large groups of security personnel were later seen heading towards the centre of Minsk and military helicopters were seen flying over parts of the city. Authorities asked mobile operators to restrict 3G access to parts of Minsk at around 18:30 local time. The presidential helicopter was seen leaving the palace at about 20:47 and it was unknown if Lukashenko was on board or not. The official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs claimed that 30,000 people attended pro-government demonstrations in the past day, against 6,100 attending anti-government demonstrations.

On 24 August, presidium members of the Coordination Council, Sergei Dylevsky and Olga Kovalkova were detained by the security services whilst attempting to support striking workers at the Minsk Tractor Works factory. Three other presidium members, Svetlana Alexievich, Lilia Vlasova and Pavel Latushko, were also summoned for questioning. Police appeared to be less tolerant of protests, rallies and strikes, actively breaking up lines of solidarity in Minsk and arresting leaders of strikes at state-owned enterprises. Despite increased police presence, groups of protesters were still able to gather in Independence Square in Minsk, where they shouted "Leave" and also in Grodno and in Brest. Alexander Lukashenko issued a statement in which he threatened dismissal for school teachers who do not follow "state ideology". An employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was fired after he had attended an anti-Lukashenko rally the previous week with another Ministry employee. The Government of Lithuania handed a note of protest to the Belarusian ambassador in Vilnius accusing the Belarusian armed forces of violating Lithuanian airspace by as much as 3 km the previous day. Belarus claimed that its air force was attempting to prevent balloons depicting the former flag of Belarus, which was described as an "anti-state symbol", from crossing the border.

25 August marked the 29th anniversary of the declaration of independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union and the re-adoption of the white-red-white flag. Olga Kovalkova appeared in court via video link on charges of illegally organising a strike and Pavel Latushko presented himself to the KGB for questioning. Both Kovalkova and Sergei Dylevsky were sentenced to 10 days imprisonment. A group of teachers organised a protest outside the headquarters of the education ministry in Minsk in relation to possible dismissals for teachers who supported opposition protests or refused to promote state ideology. In the early evening, a rally was held in Independence Square in Minsk, which was addressed by some of the members of the Supreme Council session that declared Belarus an independent state in 1991. A pro-Lukashenko demonstration, dubbed "Belarus is Lukashenko", was also held in Minsk. During the demonstration, anti-Lukashenko protesters were described as "Satanists" and told to "go to Hell", some participants mocked journalists covering the event and waved Russian flags. An employee of the Belarusian embassy in India was fired after declaring his support for the protests.

On 26 August, residents began recall proceedings against at least 20 members of the House of Representatives. Coordination Council member and Nobel Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich was summoned for interrogation but refused to answer any questions and was subsequently released. The home of opposition figure Valery Tsepkalo was raided by police. A group of about 500 employees of BelAZ marched from their place of work to the centre of Zhodzina. By late evening, a group of anti-Lukashenko demonstrators had gathered on Independence Square in Minsk. At around 20:30, security forces began to disperse the crowd, encircling demonstrators and detaining several people. At the same time, mobile internet was turned off in Minsk at the request of the authorities. Security forces locked the doors of the Saints Simon and Helena Roman Catholic church trapping around 100 people inside. The Catholic Archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev, Yuri Kasabutsky, protested against the actions of the security forces, calling them illegal.

On 27 August, Alexander Lukashenko asked the Russian government to raise a reserve force for deployment to Belarus if necessary. The Government of Belarus declined an offer from the heads of the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to visit Minsk to help mediate between the government and the opposition. In the afternoon, around 20 journalists, from both local and international media, were detained on Freedom Square in Minsk. They were taken to the Kastrychnitski district police, supposedly to check their identity and accreditation. Later that day, a group of Christians carrying Bibles had gathered outside the Saints Simon and Helena Roman Catholic Church on Independence Square, Minsk in protest of the desecration of the church by the security services that had occurred the previous day. The entrance to the church was blocked by security forces to prevent people from entering or leaving the church. A crowd of demonstrators later formed on Independence Square outside the church which was surrounded by the security forces. Women and children were allowed to leave the square but men were prevented from doing so. At least 150 people were detained. Many of the people who were dispersed from the demonstration on Independence Square continued to march through the city, singing religious songs and chanting anti-government slogans. A pro-Lukashenko rally was held in front of the Belarus supermarket in Minsk, but it was ended abruptly by rain.

On 28 August, anti-Lukashenko demonstrators again gathered on Independence Square in Minsk. The demonstration was broken up by security forces, which had encircled the square. Male demonstrators were rounded up and placed into police vans and taken away for questioning. Female demonstrators were allowed to leave the square. Security forces broke up an anti-Lukashenko rally on Pushkin Street in Minsk. Access to several anti-government websites was blocked. A pro-Lukashenko bike ride was held in Minsk led by Alexander Lukashenko's son Viktor Lukashenko.

"Women's march" against Lukashenko. Minsk, 29 August

On 29 August, a pro-government rally and an anti-government bikers rally took place in Minsk Barriers were installed around the Independence Palace, Victory Square and October Square in Minsk and buses with their windows blacked out were seen around Freedom Square in the city. Unidentified vehicles with Russian number plates were seen driving around Minsk. A woman's solidarity march, numbering approximately five thousand people, began on Independence Avenue at 16:00 and headed towards Independence Square. Riot police attempted to block its progress, but the march was able to pass. By 19:00 the rally had grown at approximately fifteen thousand people and was heading towards Bangalore Square, again overpowering security forces that tried to block its progress. At least two journalists from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and one journalist from TUT.by were detained at this rally. An anti-Lukashenko demonstration was also held in Brest. Solidarity demonstrations took place in Jerusalem and in Frankfurt.

Fourth week (30 August onward)

Rally against Lukashenko. Minsk, 30 August

Soldiers behind barbed wire. Minsk, 30 August

30 August marked Alexander Lukashenko's 66th birthday and a programme of national celebrations had been planned by the government, public authorities and his supporters. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Lukashenko to offer birthday greetings and the two agreed to meet in Moscow in the coming weeks. Independent media sources reported a large build up of military vehicles and security personnel around Minsk with access to public squares being fenced off and roads being blocked. Lukashenko's opponents had planned a series of events and rallies culminating in a "March for Peace and Independence" which is to proceed down Independence Avenue to Independence Square and then onward to the Independence Palace. Similar rallies are also planned to take place in regional capitals where opponents were asked to gather at regional administrative headquarters. Opponents of Lukashenko have been asked to bring appropriate birthday gifts and to leave these at Lukashenko's official residences around the country. Responding to this call, a group of women dressed in traditional costume brought pumpkins to government house, a sign of rejection in Belarusian culture. At around 14:00, local time, reports emerged of security forces arbitrarily detaining people and placing them into police vans. At approximately 14:50 it was reported that demonstrators had managed to breach a police line across Independence Avenue, forcing security forces to retreat further down the street. Rumours began to circulate on the Telegram platform that internet access will be stopped across Minsk at 15:00.At about 15:30, the main rally had reached the Great Patriotic War Museum which was guarded by security forces. The rally continued to move towards State Flag Square and the Independence Palace where security forces had set up a road block. At 16:30, there were reports of "tanks" moving through the streets of Minsk (which later turned out to be several BTR-80 military vehicles). Shortly before 17:00 three members of the presidium of the Coordination Council and several Belarusian Olympic athletes had appeared at the police line in front of the Independence Palace. Security forces warned the crowd to disperse or be subject to the use of force. Rather than disperse, the demonstrators began to place gifts, such as cardboard cutouts of cockroaches, police vans, helicopters and slippers for Lukashenko in front of the police line. By 19:00 most of the crowd had moved back towards the city center, partly due to a hailstorm that had broken out. Crowds continued to remain at State Flag Square, outside the Castle shopping center and in the streets around the city center where people continued to chant anti-Lukashenko slogans. When questioned about the whereabouts of Alexander Lukashenko, his publicity team released a photograph of him walking around the grounds of the Independence Palace holding a gun (presumably from his "standoff" a week earlier). By mid-afternoon, demonstrations were also taking place in Gomel, Brest, Grodno, Vitebsk, Mogilev and several other towns and cities. Riot police detained a number of demonstrators in Grodno.

On 31 August, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was invited to address the United Nations Security Council. The Metropolitan Archbishop of Minsk and Mahilyow and head of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, was prevented from entering the country after visiting Poland, despite being a Belarusian citizen. Metropolitan Kondrusiewicz had earlier stated that he believed the presidential election had been dishonest. Coordination Council presidium member Liliya Vlasova was detained by the Department of Internal Affairs on unknown charges. The Belarusian ambassador for Spain was removed from his post after saying that the votes from the presidential election should be recounted and that "open court hearings" should proceed against police officers accused of excessive force and torture. A man on the streets of Minsk was grabbed by several other men in civilian clothes and dragged into a van after he shouted insults at a riot police officer nearby.

In the early morning of 1 September (Knowledge Day in Belarus and Russia, when most scholar institutions open) a group of young individuals blocked several streets in downtown Minsk in view of more protests. Later, over a thousand students from numerous institutions started gathering on major streets, rallying towards the Independence Palace. Upon being refused entry by the military, students turned around and marched toward the Independence Square as well as other student rallies in the region. A couple of Euroradio journalists were detained on the spot. At least 20 students were detained by early afternoon in Minsk, on charged of "organizing unsactioned protests and rallies". Only a few were released hours later, with most students spending their time inside "avtozak" detention vans. Around 5:00 PM in Minsk, students have occupied the Gorky square, shouting anti-Lukashenko slogans and waving posters made of white-red-white colors. At that time, at least 40 individuals were counted as detentioned by local police. Vasily Senko, the University rector, has come out toward the protesting students and urged them to disperse. Students followed suit, only to find out police forces were filming them, after which they have returned to their positions. As result, about 10 journalists from different media sources were also detained on made-up charges of "instigating further conflict among the masses". In Mogilev and Kalinkavichy, protest instigators were detained on the spot by riot police. In Vitebsk, about 60 students who were marching on city streets were circled by police, young women were allowed to leave. Young men were beaten and those showing aggression were cuffed.

Alexander Lukashenko met a crowd of supporters in Baranavichy. He first explained that the catholic bishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz was refused re-entry into Belarus because "he left the country for Warsaw days earlier, only to receive instructions there, and come back" having therefore violated the Belarusian integrity policy. Then, he reassured the people that Belarus will hinder extranational sactions from Baltic countries with yet to find solution. Brest and Grodno will most likely see their borders put on curfew for being most likeable targets for external compromise. Finally, Lukashenko raised the question of a referendum on joining the Russian Federation as "a Union State", seemingly culminating the people's demand of constitutional reforms. He said he was open to negotiation only with the current government's representatives, not the "self-proclaimed" Coordination Council.

The UN have released a human rights report indicating that at least 450 individuals in Belarus faced cruelty and torture without a due cause. Moreover, six people are considered missing 'at large' after a month when their whereabouts still remain unknown.

Coordination Council

Main article: Coordination Council (Belarus)

First press conference of the Coordination Council on 18 August 2020

On 14 August, in a video in which Tsikhanouskaya claimed that she had received between 60 and 70% of the vote, she announced the creation of a Coordination Council to facilitate the peaceful transfer of power in Belarus.

Tsikhanouskaya stated that the council should be made of "civil society activists, respected Belarusians and professionals" to handle the transfer of power from Lukashenko. Applications for membership of the transitional council were open to any Belarusian citizen who recognised the election as having been falsified, and who was trusted by a social group by being an authoritative figure such as a doctor, a teacher, a business leader, an author or a sportsperson.

On 17 August, Tsikhanouskaya released a video in which she stated that she is ready to lead a transitional government and to organise a new, free and fair presidential election. A list of members was circulated on 17 August 2020 and include Nobel Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich. The first meeting of the Council took place on 18 August and its leadership was elected the following day.

Lukashenko decried the creation of the council as an 'attempt to seize power' and promised "appropriate measures". On 20 August the chief prosecutor launched a criminal case against the council, calling it unconstitutional.

United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, in a statement urged the Belarusian government to actively engage Belarusian society, including through the newly established Coordination Council, in a way that reflects what the Belarusian people are demanding, for the sake of Belarus’ future, and for a successful Belarus.

A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed that the leadership of the Coordination Council did not want to reduce ties with Russia and instead hoped to continue with good bilateral relationships between the two countries.

Deaths

See also: Alexander Taraikovsky

Rally in memory of Alexander Taraikovsky on 15 August

On 10 August, a protester, Alexander Taraikovsky, died near Pushkinskaya metro station. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the protester tried to throw an explosive device at the government troopers and it exploded in his arms. However, some doubts in the circumstances of the death of the 34-year-old man were expressed. It was reported that a massive blood loss due to an open chest wound was recorded in a death certificate. A video was published on 15 August that shows the protester empty handed and getting shot by the policemen. On 15 August, the Associated Press published a single frame from a video made on 10 August. It showed a man in a white shirt that looks similar to Taraikovsky and is staggering unsteadily with a big red spot on his chest (presumably blood). No further commentary from the Ministry of Internal Affairs followed, however, according to the Belarusian Investigative Committee, as of 15 August 2020, the circumstances of the Taraikovsky's death were under investigation. Elena German, the wife of Taraikovsky, saw the body in the morgue and reported that there were no injuries to his hands, but there was a small hole in his chest, consistent with a bullet hole. On 15 August, thousands of people gathered at the funeral in Minsk.

On 12 August, a 25-year-old man named Alexander Vikhor died in Gomel. He is believed to have had a heart-related disease. According to preliminary information, he died because of waiting in a security forces detainee van for many hours in hot weather. He was in the van because the city's temporary detention centers were overcrowded. He was sentenced to 10 days in prison but wasn't given proper medical attention in time.

29-year-old Konstantin Shishmakov (Belarussian: Kanstantsin Shyshmakou), director of the Bagration Military History Museum in Vawkavysk, disappeared on 15 August. As a member of election commission, he refused to sign the protocols, called his wife at about 5 pm and said: "I will not work here anymore, I am going home." But he never came home. Later he was found dead in a river. This was announced by the search and rescue squad "Angel".

On 17 August, the human rights advocates from the Belarusian education and social association "Zvyano" ("Link") issued a report, which said that at least five people had been murdered during the protests, and seven people were in critical medical condition.

On 19 August 43-year-old Gennady Shutov died in the Minsk military hospital after he had received a gunshot to his head during the 11 August protests in Brest; reportedly, the shot was fired by the police.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated on 21 August that four people have died as a result of injuries they sustained during the protests.

Human rights issues

According to numerous publications citing witnesses and victims of the police actions, the suppression of the 2020 Belarusian protests was accompanied by extreme police violence and systematic violation of human rights at all stages of the detention process.

On 14 August, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) issued a statement which condemned the arbitrary detainment and torture of hundreds if not thousands of protesters across Belarus following the election. According to the statement, such actions suggested crimes against humanity. The statement also called for an unbiased worldwide investigation into the "systematic and extremely violent oppression" of peaceful protests in Belarus.

On 19 August, the classification of these events as crimes against humanity, in accordance with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, was supported in a Human Rights Foundation (HRF) statement. According to the statement, HRF identified fifteen persons from the Belarusian state apparatus who were responsible for the arbitrary detention, beating and torture of thousands of peaceful protesters. Letters informing these persons of imminent criminal prosecution for crimes against humanity were sent to each of them on 17 August.

On 17 August, the human rights advocates from the Belarusian education and social association "Zvyano" ("Link") issued the "Report on the violation of human rights of the participants in the protests in Belarus from 7 to 14 August 2020", based on interviews with 30 victims of the police abuse, as well as on interviews with doctors of several Minks hospitals. Some of the cases were supported by audio or video evidence. On that same day, a statement to the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus with request to perform an investigation of the police' actions on the basis of 16 articles of Criminal Code of Belarus, including murder, torture and rape, was issued by Viktar Babaryka's electoral campaign manager, Maria Kalesnikava.

The numerous human rights violations were confirmed and condemned by a number of former or current Belarusian police officers, such as Sergei Mikhasev, former employee of the Vitebsk police department, who was detained along with other protesters and spent several days in a detention center in inhuman conditions, or Yuri Makhnach, a police officer from Lida, who said that the authorities had prepared them for a war against their own people.

In a 20 August statement by the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, it was underlined the USA supported international efforts to independently look into Belarus’ electoral irregularities, the human rights abuses surrounding the election, and the crackdown that had followed.

In a 21 August statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, it was noted that, despite the majority of the detainees being released, serious concerns remained about the eight missing protesters and the sixty accused of serious criminal acts. The statement underlined the lack of information about the detainees' status and called for the government to stop unlawfully detaining people. The Commissioner also confirmed that there had been four deaths and were greatly concerned about allegations of large-scale torture and ill-treatment of people, including journalists and children.

On 1 September, in a statement by the UN human rights experts, more than 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees were mentioned, including sexual abuse and rape with rubber batons of women and children.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus rejected allegations of abuse and torture of citizens detained during the protests. However, the beatings of the detainees, including at Okrestina, were recognized by Alexander Lukashenko himself.

Accounts of witnesses and victims

According to Maxim Solopov, special correspondent of Meduza, who was detained during the 10 August protest and spent two days in the Okrestina detention center, the detainees were ordered to kneel with their hands behind their heads and put their heads on the ground; then, they were continuously beaten by the staff for hours before being put into the cells. The male detainees were ordered to completely undress while laying on the ground, and, on several occasions, loud explosions were heard by Solopov; he believed these could have been detonations of flash-bang grenades. According to Solopov, the tile floor in the detention center was completely covered with blood, and screams of the beaten detainees could be heard during all his stay there. Solopov also reported that the cell where he and other detainees stayed (45 people in total) had an area of approximately 8 square meters and lacked proper ventilation. On one occasion, 35 female detainees from the cell next to Solopov's, after they screamed to the staff they were suffocating, had dirty water (left from washing the floor) poured over them and threatened that feces would be thrown over them if the screaming did not stop.

According to a Tut.by publication citing various police violence victims and witnesses, the detainees were repeatedly beaten and humiliated by the police and, on many occasions, were refused medical help even if they had open wounds and traumatic brain injuries. Victims reported that detainees were ordered to do squats and had their legs beaten if they failed to fully comply with the order. One of the detainees had a flash-bang grenade put in his underwear, and the police officers who did it threatened him to pull the safety pin and make it look as if the man died from the detonation of a self-made explosive device, mentioning that they "will not have to answer for that". According to a witness, a person suffering from an asthma attack had a foot put on his throat and threatened to be killed without any negative consequences for the police officers involved. The detainees' smartphones were taken by the police officers, and if the detainees refused to tell the unlocking password, they were severely beaten up until they gave the password. According to a witness, a male detainee was undressed by the police and threatened to be raped with a truncheon if he refused to give the unlocking password. Female detainees who attempted to help others by telling the police officers about the grave condition of their inmates were brutally dragged by their hair, had their hair cut, and were threatened to be gang-raped should they persist. Other victims reported that the detainees were repeatedly tortured with tear gas and electrocution and, on some occasions, were used as a furniture while standing on their knees, with their heads on the ground.

In a Tut.by interview with the hospitalized police violence victims, it was reported that some of them had been beaten by eight to ten fully equipped police officers at once, while being ordered to lay down and keep their hands behind their heads. Such beatings could last for hours and were accompanied by humiliating acts such as cutting the detainees' hair and ordering them to eat it. The beaten detainees were constantly asked by the police officers who their coordinators were and who had paid them to attend the protest. Some detainees had their underwear torn apart and had truncheons put closely to their rectal area while being beaten and receiving rape threats. According to one of the former detainees, he was beaten to a point where he could not react to the reality anymore and, after it was noticed by the police officers, he was thrown on the concrete floor and repeatedly spilled with cold water, after which he lost consciousness and woke up in a hospital. The former detainees report they were ordered to say they loved OMON (Russian: ОМОН – Отряд Милиции Особого Назначения; Special Purpose Police Unit) and were forced to sing the state anthem of Belarus, while the female detainees were constantly threatened with rape. According to one of the former detainees, a detained female medical volunteer was not beaten but was repeatedly insulted by the police officers until she started crying. If "suspicious" items (such as resin gloves, respirators, knives of any size or even barrettes) were found in the detainees' personal belongings, they were beaten even harder, as they were considered by the police to be the "organizers" and "coordinators" of the protest. According to witness' reports, some people arriving in the detention center showed signs of severe rubber bullet wounds on their heads and necks and had to be quickly transported to the military hospital or, if their condition was critical, to the closest civilian hospital. Meanwhile, some of the OMON officers present there were beating even the severely wounded detainees, while screaming and threatening the doctors who tried to help them. On several occasions, doctors were refused their requests to release the detainees in grave condition. According to one of the former detainees, when he was released from a detention center and sent to a hospital, the ambulance that transported him had its tires perforated by unknown men in cars with tinted glass.

According to a Tut.by publication citing an anonymous medical worker of the Minsk military hospital, about 60 patients with gunshot wounds were brought to the hospital on 9 and 10 August, several of them requiring assisted ventilation. One of the patients, a 60-year-old man, related that as he was walking through a crowd of protesters, the police arrived and the crowd started to disperse; as he could not run due to his age, he decided to surrender and raised his arms up. Shortly after that, he received a point-blank shot in his torso. The youngest of the hospitalized detainees was a 16-year-old boy in critical condition: the riot police had thrown an unidentified explosive device under his feet, rendering one of his thighs completely shattered. According to the medical worker, many of the patients brought to the military hospital had severe torso and chest penetrating traumas.

According to Naviny.by journalist Alyona Shcherbinskaya, who was detained on 10 August and spent three days in the Okrestina detention center, the female detainees were subjected there to repeated beating and humiliation by the female staff. Shcherbinskaya reports that a staff member by the name Kristina was among the most vicious ones there: she constantly insulted the detained women, forced them to bend forward and punched them in the stomach, forced them do squats naked and, at some point, "took insoles out of detainees' boots". The female detainees experiencing menstruation were ordered by her to throw away their sanitary napkins, which was justified by the "need to make sure there was nothing forbidden underneath". One of the detained women tore apart her coat and gave the cloth pieces to the inmates in need of a sanitary napkin replacement. However, the pieces didn't last for long and soon had to be replaced with toilet paper, which they ran out of shortly afterwards. According to Shcherbinskaya, the female detainees were taken out of their cells a few times per day and were forced to stay in line along the wall with their legs widely spread, and if the legs weren't considered to be spread wide enough by the staff, the women were punched in the groin area, including the ones on their period, which caused their sanitary napkin replacements to fall off. At the time of Shcherbinskaya's trial, which happened right in the detention center, she was viciously beat up by Kristina after refusing to sign a falsified detention protocol. Also, Shcherbitskaya recalls that at some point she was taken to a corridor with naked men on their knees, foreheads on the wall and their hands tied behind their backs. The corridor was covered with blood, the male detainees were groaning, and the staff was screaming very loudly.

In an interview to Naviny.by, a former Okrestina detainee reported that at some point an extremely violent beating of a woman was heard through a whole night. According to him, some people were dying inside the cells after the violent beatings, while all requests for medical help from their inmates were getting ignored by the Okrestina staff. On rare occasions, when medics were allowed to examine the suffering detainees and asked for permission to transport them to hospitals, they were refused to do so by OMON officers, who said "Let them die". The same applied to the people with diabetes. On several occasions, the detainees' smartphones were taken away and smashed into their heads. The detainees who refused to provide the unlocking passwords, were tortured by tear gas and had their fingers broken until the password was given. According to the former detainee, around 124 people were kept in a 30 square meters cell, which forced them to stay for up to 24 hours, while they were refused any water for 15 hours. He also noted that no inventorization was carried out during detainees' acceptance to the detention center, which means their personal belongings, including money, could have been stolen. Some detainees were noticed to walk out of Okrestina without their shoes.

According to the staff of the Minsk Clinical Emergency Hospital, most of the hospitalized protesters suffered from gunshot wounds and blast injuries, with the most severe cases involving amputations of the traumatized limbs. The detainees transported to the hospital from the Okrestina detention center were diagnosed with closed-head injuries, concussions, and severe head and torso bruises. In some cases, severe arm fractures were registered, which, according to the medics, looked as if they had been made on purpose. Some of the hospitalized male detainees were diagnosed with rectal fractures.

On 11 August, Artyom Vazhenkov and Igor Rogov, members of the Open Russia organization who had come to Minsk to monitor the election, were detained by the police and brought to the Okrestina detention center. In his interview to Radio Free Europe, entitled "We are re-educating you scum!", Vazhenkov related the numerous abuses to which he and the other detainees, some of them underage, were subjected by the detention center's staff. Vazhenkov reported that each time the detainees asked for food or water or said they needed to go to the bathroom, they were met with verbal and physical aggression on the part of the center's staff. The detainees were humiliated by being forced to undress to their underwear and stay in this condition both in the cell and during the trials, which were performed directly in the detention center.

According to one of the former Okrestina detainees, shortly after the detention, people had their clothes cut (including, in some cases, the underwear) and were numerically marked with a marker pen by the police, after which they were only referenced to by their assigned numbers. Some of the police officers involved made drawings on the detainees' bodies.

In a Current Time TV video, entitled "They Treated Me Like An Animal", a number of released Belarusian detainees provided personal accounts of police abuse, which involved gang-rape and kill threats, severe beatings, tortures with cold water, food and water denial for more than 48 hours and forcing to sign a detention protocol under threats of torture.

According to a 16-years-old former detainee, who had to be hospitalized in a state of induced coma after he was severely beaten and tortured by electrocution, the detainees were ordered to sing the anthem of OMON and, if they refused, they had truncheon hammered in their throats, and, on one occasion, a detainee was anally raped with a truncheon.

A former detainee who was initially transported to the Savyetski District RUVD (Russian: РУВД – Районное Управление Внутренних Дел; District Department of Internal Affairs) reported that around 80 people were lined along a wall there and were forced to stay for 24 hours with their hands behind their heads, including the ones with broken hands, who were refused medical attention. According to him, the detainees were beaten there and threatened by police officers with execution by shooting, which they claimed they had direct orders to perform, and were allowed to sit only during a night for a total of 15 minutes. According to another former detainee who was initially transported to the Partyzanski District RUVD, the detainees there (around 30 in total) were severely beaten, taken to a basement and ordered to sing the anthem of Belarus on multiple occasions. A female former detainee who was transported to the Maskowski District RUVD reported that during the early stages of detention she was repeatedly beaten, accused of being a "protest coordinator" and demanded to name the people who paid her. In the RUVD, she was taken to a hall where the floor was covered with blood and vomit, was ordered to lay down and threatened to have her dreadlocks cut off. During interrogation by 7 police officers, she was demanded to tell who paid her for the subversion and at some point was knocked out of a chair, ordered to lay down and was beaten with truncheons each time her answers weren't considered satisfactory. After the interrogation, she was taken to a hall with about 40 or more detainees and had her clothes marked with an aerosol paint, which, as she learned later, was a message to other police officers meaning she was one of the most active protesters. In the Okrestina detention center, she, along with other 35–40 women, was put in a four-people cell where she spent another 3 days. Another female former detainee reported that at some point she was taken to a six-people cell with 50 other detainees who were refused food and had no access to clean water. During her last night there, the Okrestina staff knocked on the cell door once in an hour, preventing the detainees from sleeping. The detainees there were nearly suffocating and restrained from talking in order to preserve as much oxygen as possible. When she was transported to a detention center in Zhodzina, she received food for the first time in three days and heard local staff referring to Okrestina as Auschwitz concentration camp. Another female former detainee from Okrestina, who was arrested by 10 OMON officers as an independent observer during the elections and was put in a four-people cell with 35 other women, reported that all the detainees' requests for more air were met with an opened door and a splash of water. The detainees there were constantly humiliated and refused means of personal hygiene, such as sanitary napkins. During the night, when male detainees were taken out of their cells, she heard sounds of severe beatings and screams, and, in the morning, saw the corridor walls of the Okrestina covered with blood.

Sergei Dylevsky, a steel worker at the Minsk Tractor Works who helped take protesters released from detention to a hospital, recalled that one of them had lost an eye after being beaten at the facility. This evidence angered Dylevsky and led to his joining the Coordination Council.

Persons falsely accused of torture

Kristina Kazanoy from Minsk was falsely accused of torture on social networks, being reported by some of the former detainees to be similar in appearance to a member of Okrestina staff. She turned out to be not a police officer, but a teacher at the academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Kazanaoy had to release a video message declaring that she never used violence. Kazanoy stated she did not believe the stories about the widespread tortures: “After they fabricated this story about me, they no longer have my faith. I don’t know any of the employees at Okrestina, I don’t know if that woman actually tortured and beat people and if there is such an employee at all. Until yesterday, I didn’t know where Okrestsina was, I thought it was not in Minsk.”

Attacks on journalists and censorship

Main article: Censorship in Belarus

During the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, the cases of attacks are increased. On 23 July Lukashenko during a meeting with the leaders of the country's economic bloc, his main concern was that the BBC and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty had encouraged riots while streaming protests and threatened to expel media and ban them from reporting on the election.

On 9–11 August, several independent journalists were arrested in Minsk, Brest, and Babruysk. According to a statement by the Belarusian Association of Journalists, on 10 August, internal troops and other government forces deliberately shot rubber bullets at independent journalists in Minsk (including Tut.by and Nasha Niva). The journalists wore special high visibility jackets and had personal IDs. Nasha Niva editor-in-chief (also wearing a jacket) disappeared during the night. He managed to send an SOS SMS message to his wife, saying he was arrested. His fate was unknown as of 13:30 local time, and the Nasha Niva website was not updated for many hours after his presumed arrest. Several journalists, including foreigners, were slightly injured during the suppression of the protests. A rubber bullet hit the plastic ID of Getty Images' photojournalist Michal Fridman. Several Russian journalists from both official media and Internet projects were arrested but soon released.

On 10 August, local journalists reported problems with all major communication platforms and pro-opposition websites.

On 11 August, it was reported that police officers and other government agents forcibly took away memory cards from many journalists' devices. They also forced them to delete photos or sometimes crushed their cameras. BBC News Russia reported that three of its journalists were beaten by the government forces that night while covering the protests. Russian journalist Nikita Telizhenko was heavily beaten in Belarusian jail: he was arrested in Minsk and sent to Zhodzina because of jails' overcrowding in Minsk. In Zhodzina he was beaten on his kidneys, legs, and neck, but he was soon released at the Russian embassy's request. Arrested Russian journalist Artyom Vazhenkov was reported to be accused of mass rioting (up to 15 years of prison in Belarus).

On 12 August, Belsat journalist Jauhien Merkis was arrested in Gomel while covering the protests. Even though he was there as a journalist, the next day, the local court sentenced him to 15 days in jail for "participation in an unauthorized mass event". He was liberated soon, but on 21 August he was arrested again and was given 5 days in jail. Journalist Ruslan Kulevich from Grodno, arrested on 11 August, was freed on 14 August with fractures of both hands.

One of the few communication systems that managed to avoid censorship is the independent Belarusian-owned NEXTA Telegram channel based in Warsaw. The channel's subscribers rose from 100,000 on election night to over a million after a day. The channel publishes user-generated videos, photos, and comments of the protests. The founder of NEXTA himself is facing up to 15 years of prison after being indicted by the regime. The use of Telegram software is helping the protesters by providing much needed communications. NEXTA Live's audience shot to over 2 million. Its sister channel NEXTA has more than 700,000 followers. Belarus of the Brain's is now over 470,000. Officials opened a criminal probe into NEXTA which has continued to operate despite the arrest of its founder Stepan Putilo, on charges of fomenting mass riots. Igor Losik, who founded Belarus of the Brain, was arrested before the election, but the channel also continues to operate.

On 15 August, a meeting was held with the head of the upper chamber of Parliament of Belarus Natalia Kochanova and press Secretary of the President of Belarus Natalia Eismont. The audience, the workers at the Belarusian TV and radio company in Minsk, asked why the station was not broadcasting the truth. The officials had been escorted to the building by riot police who took control of the building. Thousands of protesters outside demanded the station show people the truth. It was also reported that some staff had resigned and one hundred were planning to strike on Monday.

It was reported that on 18 June, reporters from various countries, arriving in Minsk airport, were pulled out of passport control, interrogated and locked up before being refused entry and being told to buy a plane ticket to some other country, in an attempt to suppress the media.

On 21 August 72 or 73 websites were blocked in Belarus, including several independent news portals (Radio Liberty/Free Europe in Belarus svaboda.org, by.tribuna.com sport news, euroradio.fm, belsat.eu, gazetaby.com, the-village.me/news and others), electoral sites of Tsepkalo and Babaryko, "Golos" and "Zubr" platforms, spring96.org human rights portal, and several VPN services.

As of 21 August, the Belarusian edition of Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper failed to print three editions, and Narodnaja Volya failed to print a newspaper edition (both newspapers had a contract with the government-controlled printing house). The Belarusian Association of Journalists stated that the real cause was not technical troubles, but an attempt to block information about the protests and violations of human rights. Two other independent newspapers (Belgazeta and Svobodnye Novosti) also were unable to print new editions in Belarus. New editions of Komsomolskaya Pravda and Narodnaja Volya were printed in Russia, but the state network of newsstands "Belsoyuzpechat'" denied to take them for sale. These newspapers also reported that the post service delayed the delivery by subscription.

On 27 August, around 20 journalists, from both local and international media, were detained on Freedom Square in Minsk. The journalists were taken to the Kastrychnitski district police supposedly to check their identity and accreditation.

On 29 August, accreditation of several foreign journalists was revoked; they worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Associated Press, Reuters, AFP, BBC, ARD, Radio France Internationale, Deutsche Welle and Current Time TV. It was reported that some of them (including Paul Hansen) were deported from Belarus. Independent news web sites naviny.by (46th most popular site in Belarus) and nn.by (Nasha Niva; 58th most popular site in Belarus) were blocked in Belarus.

International reactions

Main article: International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests

Countries and organisations have voiced their opinions with some accepting and some rejecting the election result. Many have commented about the protests with more condemning the violence.

• EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on 14 August announced that the EU would bring in sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for "violence and falsification". Charles Michel, President of the European Council went further on 19 August saying the EU would soon impose sanctions on a “substantial number” of individuals responsible for violence, repression, and election fraud. The European Commission announced it would divert €53 million earmarked for Belarus away from the government and towards civil society, victims of the state crackdown on protesters and the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
• On 18 August 2020, the Lithuanian parliament agreed to impose economic sanctions.
• On 19 August 2020, the Prime Minister of Slovakia stated that the Government of Slovakia introduced sanctions against Belarus in the new legislative session.

Allegations of foreign interference

According to Russia's press service statement issued on 19 August 2020, "Russia pointed out that foreign attempts to interfere in the country’s domestic affairs were unacceptable and could further escalate tensions". As Georgy Saralidze, advisor to the director of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company on program policy, noted in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza that western countries had been striving to isolate Belarus away from Russia for several years. “The main goal is to prevent the expansion of the Union State, and ideally just to destroy it. What Vladimir Putin said to Merkel and Macron is a very symptomatic thing, because now there are attacks that Russia allegedly interferes in the affairs of Belarus. Moreover, there are no statements on the part of Russia, apart from the recognition of the election results. If you call it interference, then those who do not recognize the election also interfere in the affairs of Belarus."

Some outlets in Russia and Belarus scrutinized the connections held by the Belarusian opposition media, questioning the independence of the NEXTA telegram channel. One of the founders of the channel is Belarusian Stepan Putilo, who emigrated to Poland and studies in the United States. Previously, Putilo worked for Belsat, a satellite television network supervised by and directly funded by the Polish government. The chief editor of NEXTA is Roman Protasevich, who also works at Radio Liberty (recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent). When covering the events in Belarus, The U.S. Government's Radio Liberty actively cites NEXTA for its information.

Lukashenko announced a week after the election that NATO forces were "at the gates" and threatening the country (which was denied by NATO), prompting President Putin to offer to send in military assistance, A Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on 19 August said that there was no need for Russia to help Belarus militarily or otherwise at present. Belarus and Russia are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a Russia-led military alliance of six former Soviet states, and part of a Belarus–Russia Union State. President of the European Council Charles Michel spoke on 19 August about interference in Belarus, ”It’s important for both the EU and Russia to support the democratic process in Belarus. We want to avoid external interference in Belarus.” He added that he had read recent statements from Kremlin that it does not intend to interfere militarily.

Support for victims

Minsk, 15 August. Makeshift board with photographs and a drawing of hanged OMON forces condemns the death of Aliaksandar Tsaraikouski

Unregistered candidate Valery Tsepkalo created a non-profit organization "Belarus of the future". The primary goal of the program is to support citizens of Belarus who have suffered from political repression. Tsepkalo was not the first who started supporting them. Before him, people were self-organizing the funds with the same concept to support victims of oppression in Belarus, paying for received fines they received during the protests.

Mikita Mikado, the CEO of PandaDoc, which has Belarusian roots, offered to support authorities (police officers, army and security forces) that want to retire, but cannot because for financial reasons. The CEO is planning to resign based on the latest events. He had published a video and asked to contact him directly to get full support.

Alexander Shneerson, the CEO of ISSoft, announced "The Belarusian society has invested a lot in the IT industry. We are part of the people of Belarus and we believe that the time has come for IT specialists to support those who suffered during the peaceful protests."

The Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on 14 August an €11 million fund to help protesters get visas and settle in Poland. Poland would provide support for Belarusian independent media and non-governmental organisations and scholarships would also be available to Belarusian students in Poland. Lithuania offered medical assistance to injured protesters.

On 19 August the EU promised €2 million to assist the victims of state violence and €1 million to support independent media as part of a €53 million package to support a peaceful transition.

Mikhail Orda, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, called for law officers to investigate every case of violence in a detailed and objective manner, adding that the Trade Unions were willing to provide legal assistance to all victims.

Symbols

Protesters in Minsk on 16 August

The red-and-white flag, the official flag of independent Belarus from 1991 to 1995, has been adopted by the pro-democracy opposition, becoming a powerful symbol. Officially banned by the authorities, the flag was frequently confiscated by the police at demonstrations and became a symbol for everyone who actively opposes Lukashenko. Other symbols used by opposition supporters include the former coat of arms of Belarus, known as the Pahonia, and the song Vajacki marš, which was the national anthem of the short-lived Belarusian People's Republic and the traditional folk song Pahonia. A common slogan used by the protesters is the phrase Long Live Belarus!. Anti-Lukashenko protesters have also used the current state flag of Belarus on rare occasions.

The current state flag of Belarus has been universally used at demonstrations in support of Alexander Lukashenko. Other symbols used by pro-Lukashenko demonstrators include the current national emblem of Belarus, the flag of Russia, the flag of the Soviet Union and the Ribbon of Saint George.

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  Current state flag of Belarus
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  The former flag of Belarus
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  Historic Coat of arms of Belarus known as the Pahonia
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  Variant of the former flag of Belarus with the Pahonia coat of arms
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  Heraldic banner of the Pahonia coat of arms

Gallery

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  Rally in support of Tsikhanoŭskaya, 30 July
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  Local lines of solidarity during mass protests in Minsk, 13 August
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  Local lines of solidarity in Minsk, 14 August
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  "Wall of shame" near a school with diplomas issued by the school, graduate sashes and protest inscriptions. Such installations were made in protest against presumable falsifications by the teachers
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  Rally against Lukashenko and violence in Minsk, 16 August
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  Protest poster: "Fair elections. Tribunal. Freedom for political prisoners", 16 August
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  Rally against Lukashenko and violence in Baranavichy, 16 August
• Rally against Lukashenko and violence in Babruysk, 16 August
  Rally against Lukashenko and violence in Babruysk, 16 August
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  Rally against Lukashenko in Minsk, 23 August
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  "Women's march" against Lukashenko in Minsk, 29 August
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  Rally against Lukashenko in Minsk, 30 August
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  Special vehicles of the internal troops or AMAP/OMON: moving two-level fences and water cannons with dozer blades
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  Internal troopers getting into the truck
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  An ambulance-looking van with the registration plate of the Internal troops (BB-0)
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  Internal troopers in Minsk
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  Soldiers of the Belarusian ground forces during the protests. Note the lack of blank-firing adaptors, meaning that their assault rifles can shoot live ammunition

See also

• 2011 Belarusian protests
• 2017 Belarusian protests
• List of protests in the 21st century

External links

• Media related to Belarusian protests, 2020 at Wikimedia Commons