Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

‘We don’t need war’ says Belarus parliament speaker, as police minister apologizes to people ‘accidentally’ caught up in crackdown

‘We don’t need war’ says Belarus parliament speaker, as police minister apologizes to people ‘accidentally’ caught up in crackdown

After police in Belarus violently dispersed protests against election results, arresting thousands, the country’s police minister apologized to ‘random’ people caught up in the violence, but not those he called rioters.

Opposition supporters have taken to the streets since Sunday, accusing the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko of election fraud after Minsk officials announced he had been reelected with 80 percent of the vote. Belarusian police responded with sweeping arrests, marred by scenes of apparent brutality.

“I offer apologies for the injuries of random people who got caught up in the dispersal,” Interior Minister Yuri Karayev said in a televised interview on Thursday. He noted that rioters have attacked law enforcement 11 times over the past three days.

Karayev noted that Belarus has always been the envy of neighboring countries for its peace and security, urging the demonstrators not to throw that away.

“Thank God, this has not turned into a revolution yet,” he said.

The interior minister also said he would prioritize the release of journalists that have been jailed in the roundups of demonstrators.

“The press is sacred, and should not be touched,” he added. However, he urged reporters not to put themselves between the police and the rioters.

"Do not go into the thick of it!"


Natalya Kochanova, speaker of the upper house of the parliament, took a similar conciliatory tone. Noting that more than a thousand of those arrested have been released already, Kochanova called on the people to “stop the self-destruction.”

“We don't need a fight, we don't need a war. Minsk has always been peaceful and calm,” she told reporters.

At least two protesters have died and more than 6,000 people have been arrested in the four days of the unrest. Videos shared online suggest that efforts to disperse the demonstrations have involved SWAT units being set loose on protesters as well as liberal use of rubber bullets, flash-bang grenades and tear gas.

Clips of riot police beating or arresting people walking their dogs or alleged innocent bystanders have gone viral. In at least one instance, the police aimed their weapons at residential buildings in Minsk while attempting to arrest demonstrators who sought refuge there.

Lukashenko has accused foreign governments – specifically Poland, Czechia and the UK – of fomenting a “color revolution” in Belarus, which Prague and Warsaw have denied.

Some opposition activists have demanded regime change and appealed to the West for support, while opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya fled to Lithuania after reports she was targeted by an assassination plot.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×