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Lithuania’s sanctions against Lukashenko proof of meddling in Belarus' affairs — diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that "now Minsk gets bulletproof evidence of Western interference in Belarusian domestic affairs"

MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. The decision by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry to ban entry to the country for Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and a number of Belarusian officials serves as evidence of Western interference in the republic’s domestic affairs, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Wednesday.

The diplomat shared the news of Lukashenko’s entry ban to Lithuania on her Facebook page. "Bravo! Now Minsk gets bulletproof evidence of Western interference in Belarusian domestic affairs," Zakharova wrote.

Belarus held a presidential election on August 9. According to the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% of the vote, while his main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya garnered 10.12%. Protests erupted in the country's capital of Minsk and several other cities following the presidential vote, leading to clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers. According to the Belarusian Interior Ministry, over 6,000 people have been detained, and dozens of law enforcement officers and protesters have been injured.