Russian spymaster says Belarus protests fueled from abroad

Upcoming News | Oct 22, 2020, 20:42 IST

Demonstrators flash the victory sign during an opposition rally to reject the presidential election results in Minsk

MOSCOW: Russia's foreign intelligence chief said Thursday during a visit to Belarus that the 2 1/2 months of protests since the country's presidential election have been fomented from abroad.

Belarus has been rocked by massive demonstrations against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko's reelection to a sixth term in an Aug. 9 vote that the opposition argues was rigged. Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation with an iron fist for more than 26 years, has accused the United States and its allies of fueling the protests.