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Two Belarusians wanted for participation in disturbances detained in Moscow

The accused were taken into custody until their extradition to Belarus

MINSK, February 19. /TASS/. Russian policemen have detained two Belarusian citizens wanted at home for participation in mass unrest after the presidential election, the press service of the Belarusian Interior Ministry reported on Friday.

"Two residents of Brest (aged 21 and 27) were on the transnational wanted list since last year for crimes committed during mass disturbances in the regional center. They were detained by Russian policemen according to the information of Brest’s directorate of the Interior Ministry’s main directorate for fighting organized crime and corruption," the agency noted.

According to its data, both Belarusians have already attracted attention of law enforcement before. "One of them was repeatedly held administratively liable and the other is one of the leaders of a neo-Nazi fan movement and participates in ‘contract fights,’" the press service said. The accused were taken into custody until their extradition to Belarus.

Nationwide demonstrations have engulfed Belarus following the August 9 presidential election. According to the Central Election Commission’s official results, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won by a landslide, garnering 80.10% of the vote. His closest rival in the race, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, came in second, with 10.12% of the ballot. However, she refused to recognize the election’s outcome, and left Belarus for Lithuania. After the results of the exit polls were announced late on August 9, mass protests erupted in downtown Minsk and other Belarusian cities. During the early post-election period, the rallies snowballed into fierce clashes between the protesters and police.