Belarus opposition 'making a list' of officers involved in street violence

A protester is detained in Minsk during a Belarusian opposition supporters' rally on September 13
A protester is detained in Minsk during a Belarusian opposition supporters' rally on September 13 Copyright AP
By Euronews
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Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said the list of names would be published and sent to European Union countries, Russia and the United States

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Opposition activists in Belarus are compiling lists to identify police and soldiers allegedly involved in violence, the main opposition candidate has said.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said the records were of individual officers who took part in the crackdown on protests that broke out after last month's presidential election.

“We have been given the names of those who were beating and torturing people,” she said in a statement, the Associated Press reported.

“We are preparing a list of officials and law enforcement officers who have taken part in lawless repressions.”

The list was announced as it emerged Tsikhanouskaya will travel to Brussels on Monday to seek support at a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

The Belarusian opposition says the August 9 election was rigged for President Alexander Lukahsenko, who won a sixth term with more than 80 per cent of the vote.

Official results gave Tsikhanouskaya just 10 per cent. She later left for neighbouring Lithuania under pressure from the authorities.

She said that the list would be published and sent to "Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, EU member states and the United States".

Several European countries and the United States have condemned acts of violence against peaceful protesters in Belarusian cities in recent weeks.

Last week the European Union said it was preparing to impose sanctions on individuals who "responsible for violence, the repression of peaceful protests and the falsification of election results".

Tsikhanouskaya said the list of named officers would be named after the protester Alexander Taraikovsky, who died the day after the election. The opposition says he was shot dead.

Police initially claimed Taraikovsky, was killed by an explosive device that he intended to throw at officers, but graphic video footage of the moment he died showed he was not holding anything when he fell to the ground.

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