Belarus Intensifies Opposition Crackdown... "Kidnapped by Assailants or Forced to Leave the Country"

Opposition Figure Maksim Znak Also Detained by Assailants
6 of 7 Opposition Coordination Committee Members Arrested or Forced to Leave
Forced Departure Resister Kolesnikova Faces Up to 5 Years Imprisonment
Demanding US to Stop Suppression, Suggests Possible Additional Sanctions

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Following the controversy over election fraud, the Belarusian government's crackdown on the opposition has become overt. Key opposition figures in Belarus are being arrested or forcibly expelled one after another.

According to foreign media on the 9th (local time), Maksim Znak, a Belarusian opposition figure and lawyer, was taken away by masked individuals from his office. It was also reported that Znak's home was searched.

Belarusian citizens protesting with the Belarus traditional flag, claiming election fraud [Image source=Yonhap News]

At the time Znak was taken away, he was scheduled to have a video conference with another opposition figure but did not participate. The other person, finding this strange, called Znak, who said, "It seems someone has entered here," and then the contact was lost.

With Znak also being taken by individuals presumed to be Belarusian government officials, six out of the seven members of the Coordination Council, the core of the Belarusian opposition, have been arrested or forcibly expelled. The Coordination Council was established at the proposal of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who came in second place after President Alexander Lukashenko in last month's presidential election. This body was created to discuss the resignation of President Lukashenko and related matters.

Opposition figure Maksim Znak, reportedly arrested by masked personnel [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

After the presidential election, as protests condemning election fraud continued for over a month in Belarus, the Belarusian government openly intensified its crackdown not only on protesters but also on opposition figures. The Belarusian prosecutor's office has designated the Coordination Council as a threat to Belarusian security and has launched an investigation.

Maria Kolesnikova, an opposition figure who went missing on the 7th, is also under investigation for charges including incitement to seize power. Initially, the Belarusian government attempted to forcibly expel Kolesnikova to Ukraine, but she resisted by tearing up her passport, leading to her detention by border guards. She is currently being investigated on charges that could result in a sentence of up to five years. Kolesnikova had worked in the election campaign supporting Tikhanovskaya in the last presidential election. In addition, Veronika Tsepkalo and others also participated in the campaign, and the activities of these three women, who ran as candidates and aides, attracted attention both in Belarus and internationally.

Among the Coordination Council members, only Svetlana Alexievich, a Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, has so far avoided arrest or forced expulsion. She has been receiving calls and having her door knocked on by unknown individuals, prompting her to request Western diplomats and journalists to stay with her.

She also posted on the online site of the Belarus branch of the PEN Club, stating, "At first, they kidnapped the country, and now they are kidnapping opposition figures."

As the international community has taken notice, including the fact that Kolesnikova refused forced expulsion by tearing up her passport, the United States and others have begun to take concrete actions. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "Additional sanctions are being considered against individuals involved in human rights abuses in Belarus," and added, "The United States calls on the Belarusian government to stop violent suppression of protests and release those unjustly detained." Europe is also considering imposing sanctions against Belarus.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.