MINSK, August 27. /TASS/. Belarusian law enforcement officers detained 30 protesters on August 26, the tut.by website reported on Thursday.

According to the website, 30 people were detained in Minsk and other regions on August 26 for taking part in protests. Among those detained in Minsk was Artyom Lyava, a journalist working for Belsat TV channel, who was released at 07:00 local time on Thursday.

There is no official data from the Belarusian Interior Ministry yet. On Wednesday, Minsk police confirmed that several protesters had been apprehended on the city’s central Independence Square.

On Wednesday evening, protesters again gathered on Independence Square. At first, police officers did not interfere with the unauthorized rally but urged people to stop it. Later on, special police force units arrived and citizens’ detentions began. According to eyewitnesses, about 20 people were apprehended.

Belarus held its presidential election on August 9. According to the Central Election Commission’s final data, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 80.10% of the vote, whereas Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was considered to be his key rival, garnered 10.12% of the ballot. Subsequently, she refused to recognize the outcome of the polls. 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 police.