Belarus Detains Opposition Leader as Critics Forced Abroad
- Maria Kalesnikava, two others were reported missing on Monday
- Ukraine said Belarus tried to expel Kalesnikava and her allies
Maria Kalesnikava greets supporters in Minsk, Belarus, on Aug. 9.
Photographer: Misha Friedman/Getty Images
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Belarus said Maria Kalesnikava, one of the Belarusian opposition’s top organizers, was detained at the border with Ukraine as President Alexander Lukashenko targets the leaders of month-long protests against his 26-year rule.
Belarus tried to expel Kalesnikava and two colleagues, according to opposition activists and Ukrainian officials. Brought forcibly to the frontier by Belarusian security forces around 4am, Kalesnikava tore up her passport and climbed out the window of the vehicle to prevent the agents from forcing her out of the country, according to the colleagues.