First Deputy Chairman of the state Duma on CIS Affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots Konstantin Zatulin expressed hope that Russia’s ability “to reason with and appease” the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, including through informal contacts. He stated this in a conversation with radio station “Moscow Says”.
“This [the actions of the Belarusian security forces] not so much violations of the Geneva conventions as the basic rules and norms on the treatment of citizens of Belarus. Judging by what is happening, law enforcement agencies are set up to intimidate in order to be able to pay off all sorts of protests,” — said Zatulin.
According to him, Lukashenko after 26 years in office, the President will not go to new elections, as demanded by the protesters, and will continue to hold power. Zatulin said that the President of the Republic “is already completely hardened in your lust for power”. He noted that, judging by the actions of Lukashenko, it is set to “naked repression.”
“We hear an endless stream of insults Protestants. (…) We are also protests in Russia… I have never heard of and hopefully never hear from the leadership of the Russian Federation insults to those who go to these protests for their own reasons,” — said Zatulin.
Protests in Belarus continued the fifth day. Citizens speak against the official results of the presidential elections, according to which incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko gained more than 80 percent of the vote. Authorities dispersed protesters using rubber bullets, batons, water cannons, tear gas, stun grenades. Against security forces used fireworks, paving stones, Molotov cocktails.
Lukashenko believes that the opposition plans to organize a revolution. Just four nights of protests were detained about seven thousand people. Detention center in Minsk are overcrowded. Detainees are transported from the capital to Zhodzina, where are the investigative prison.
