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Seventeen protesters detained in Belarus on Saturday, human rights activists say

Most of the detentions took place in the country’s capital of Minsk, as well as in the cities of Grodno, Vitebsk and Svetlogorsk

MINSK, November 1. /TASS/. Seventeen people were detained during Saturday’s protests in Belarus, according to the Vesna (or Spring) human rights center, which is not registered with the country’s Justice Ministry.

"There are 17 names on the list of detained people," the center said in a statement on its website.

Most of the detentions took place in the country’s capital of Minsk, as well as in the cities of Grodno, Vitebsk and Svetlogorsk.

In Minsk, women held a march to protest against the Belarusian authorities’ policies and demand a new presidential election. A rally in support of workers calling for a strike took place in Grodno.

Belarus held its presidential election on August 9. According to the Central Election Commission’s data, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% of the vote. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who garnered 10.12%, refused to recognize the election’s results and left Belarus. Protests erupted in the country's capital of Minsk and several other cities following the presidential vote.