icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
10 Aug, 2020 18:25

KGB of Belarus says it stopped ‘assassination’ plot against opposition candidate Tikhanovskaya

KGB of Belarus says it stopped ‘assassination’ plot against opposition candidate Tikhanovskaya

Belarusian security services said that opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who called for annulling the presidential election, was targeted in an assassination plot. The opposition denied asking for police protection.

Tikhanovskaya has contested the results of Sunday’s election, which officially saw her getting 10 percent of the vote to the incumbent Aleksandr Lukashenko’s almost 80 percent. Protests that erupted after the results were announced saw 3,000 people detained by police.

KGB chairman Valery Vakulchik told reporters on Monday that the security service intercepted a phone call talking about the need for a “sacred sacrifice,” and said the sender has been identified. The KGB then sent 120 police personnel to provide protection to the opposition headquarters in Minsk, Vakulchik said.

Also on rt.com Police shoot grenades and tear-gas at protesters against presidential election results in Belarus

Tikhanovskaya’s headquarters said they did not request protection from the authorities, however.

There were reports, amid mass protests on Monday, that Tikhanovskaya had been detained when she went to file a complaint at the Central Elections Commission offices. This was denied by the opposition spokesperson Anna Krasulin, who told Sputnik Belarus that Tikhanovskaya left the CEC building "through the back door" after spending nearly three hours there.

The opposition claims that Sunday’s election was plagued by fraud and irregularities and has called for its annulment. Lukashenko has responded by saying he will not allow a Maidan-style coup – referring to the 2014 events in neighboring Ukraine – and accusing Poland, the Czech Republic and the UK of backing violent protesters. Warsaw and Prague have denied the allegation.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0