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Head of Belarusian Orthodox Church urges Lukashenko to stop violence

Earlier on Friday, Metropolitan Pavel took part in the ceremony of laying a capsule in the foundation of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Minsk

MINSK, August 14. /TASS/. Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavl, has called on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to stop violence in the country and wished people peace in their hearts.

Earlier on Friday, Metropolitan Pavel took part in the ceremony of laying a capsule in the foundation of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Minsk.

"He urged the Belarusian authorities, President Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko to do that [stop violence - TASS]," Chairman of the Synodal Information Department of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Sergiy Lepin, told TASS on Friday.

"I ask Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko <…> to do his utmost to stop violence. I think this can be done. At the same time I urge our citizens not to incite [protests]. I urge them to pray," the tut.by website quotes the head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church as saying.

"Violence has no place in our lives. <…> The most important thing is to ensure that peace reigns in the heart of every person," the metropolitan said.

Belarus held the presidential election on August 9. According to the final data of the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 80.1% of the vote. His key rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya garnered 10.12% of the vote.

After the results of exit polls were announced late on August 9, mass protests flared up in downtown Minsk and other cities, which spiraled into clashes with the police. More protests followed in the next few days. According to the Interior Ministry, several thousand people were detained. Dozens of police and demonstrators were injured.