The Belarusian opposition is calling for an international investigation to be opened after the death last week of a 31-year-old opponent arrested by the police of President Lukashenko's regime, its leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told AFP on Tuesday (November 17th).
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The figurehead of the protest movement against the leader in power since 1994 wants "
an international investigation
".
"
If we have no law in our country, no justice in our country, we ask for international aid and the countries where democracy prevails, where the law prevails, will help us
," she said.
"
We'll see if it's possible, but I'm sure it must be done,
" insisted the leader of the opposition.
In exile abroad since the contested re-election of President Lukashenko in August, Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa met Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Tuesday in Stockholm to gain support for this investigation and for new European sanctions targeting the Belarusian regime.
Roman Bondarenko, 31, was arrested by police last Wednesday in Minsk after an altercation between residents and masked men who removed red and white ribbons, the colors of the opposition, hung in a building courtyard.
Suffering from brain damage, he died the next day in a hospital, amid heavy suspicions of beatings during his detention.
Read also: Belarus: more than 700 people detained after the opposition demonstration
“
This fatal beating is the latest consequence of the scandalous and shameful actions of the Belarusian authorities
”, denounced Ms. Linde during the joint interview with Ms. Tikhanovskaïa.
Sweden, which takes over the rotating OSCE presidency on January 1, "
does not accept this impunity and we are in favor of adding more people, entities and businesses to the European sanctions list
," she explained.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya had already met ambassadors from several countries (Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Canada, Ireland) on Monday morning to request an international investigation into the death of Roman Bondarenko.
"
The ambassadors supported the opening of an international investigation into crimes against the Belarusian people, under international jurisdiction
," said his entourage in a statement.
