From self-exile, Belarus opposition leader calls for protests to reach 'every city'

MOSCOW — After waves of post-election protests in Belarus against the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, the opposition appeared to get a boost Friday as its self-exiled leader called for rallies in every corner of the country.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya — whose campaign said she was pressured into leaving the country earlier in the week — resurfaced in a video from Lithuania calling for peaceful weekend protests "in every city."

She later announced the formation of a council to ensure the transition of power if Lukashenko were toppled and to "restore the rule of law in Belarus," she said in a statement.
The European Union, meanwhile, agreed to start the process of imposing sanctions against Belarusan officials involved in the crackdown against protesters.

Belarus opposition candidate leaves country amid protests over disputed election
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, claimed he easily won over Tikhanovskaya in an election Sunday whose results have been widely denounced as rigged. Clashes between security forces and protesters quickly erupted in the most sweeping challenges to Lukashenko’s grip on the country.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/belarus-protests-opposition-svetlana-tikhanovsky-lukashenko/2020/08/14/c810761a-dd63-11ea-b4f1-25b762cdbbf4_story.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social