Maria Kalesnikava, one of the last core protest leaders left in Belarus, was detained at the border with Ukraine, Belarusian authorities said
Ms. Kalesnikava has been one of the principal figures behind monthlong mass demonstrations following the disputed election of longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko. Most other opposition leaders have been forced to flee Belarus under the threat of arrest, as the protests have mushroomed into the biggest challenge to Mr. Lukashenko’s 26-year reign.
A vocal critic of Mr. Lukashenko, Ms. Kalesnikava has been missing since early Monday when an opposition council said that she and two other activists had beenHowever, the Belarus State Border Committee said Tuesday that Ms. Kalesnikava was detained while attempting to cross overnight into neighboring Ukraine with her two colleagues, who were allowed to pass through. The Ukrainian State Border Guard Service confirmed that the two others were in Ukraine, while Ms.
The opposition’s Coordination Council, a panel formed in the wake of August’s election, said it still didn’t know the whereabouts of its three members.
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