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Police detain campaign manager of Belarusian presidential candidate Tikhanovskaya

Tikhanovskaya’s press secretary added that their campaign manager is being taken to the central police station in Minsk

MINSK, August 8. /TASS/. Law enforcers have detained Maria Moroz, the campaign manager of Belarusian presidential hopeful Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the candidate’s spokeswoman Anna Krasulina told TASS on Saturday.

"As it was said during the detention, Moroz was detained to take part in an administrative process," Krasulina said. "Taking into consideration that today is a day-off, it means that Moroz will not be released until a court hearing on Monday.

Tikhanovskaya’s press secretary added that their campaign manager is being taken to the central police station in Minsk. According to Krasulina, Tikhanovskaya’s team do not know what administrative process is meant, since no charges have been ever filed against Moroz.

"Our headquarters is left without its head," Krasulina said.

No comment from the Belarusian law enforcement agencies was immediately available by TASS.

On August 7, Nikolai Lysenkov, the campaign manager of another candidate, Sergei Cherechen, was detained by police and later, a court remanded him in custody for ten days. Lysenkov is accused of alleged violations in the organization order and of staging mass rallies.

A presidential election will be held in Belarus on August 9. On August 4, an early vote kicked off, which will last until August 8. Five candidates are running for the top post - incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, Co-Chairman of the Tell the Truth public movement Andrei Dmitriyev, former lawmaker Anna Kanopatskaya, Belarusian activist Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Chairman of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Gramada Sergei Cherechen. Two more applicants, Valery Tsepkalo and Viktor Babariko, who is currently under arrest, were denied registration.

The presidential race has been dogged by detentions of opposition politicians and activists, and also by unsanctioned protests. The European Union and the United States voiced their concerns about the incidents and urged Minsk to hold a free election.