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Belarusian opposition leader to meet US Congress members next week — source

Later, AFP reported citing a US administration official that Tikhanovskaya will also meet with high-ranking White House officials

NEW YORK, July 17. /TASS/. Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya will meet with US government officials, Congress members and foreign ambassadors in Washington next week, a source familiar with details of the upcoming visit told TASS.

"Tikhanovskaya will be in Washington next week. Among other events, she will meet with US Ambassador to Belarus Julie Fisher," the source said, without giving any further information about the schedule.

Later, AFP reported citing a US administration official that Tikhanovskaya will also meet with high-ranking White House officials.

Nationwide demonstrations engulfed Belarus following the August 9 presidential election. According to the Central Election Commission’s official results, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won by a landslide, garnering 80.10% of the vote. His closest rival in the race, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, came in second, with 10.12% of the ballot. However, she refused to recognize the election’s outcome, and left Belarus for Lithuania.

Tikhanovskaya’s supporters set up a Coordination Council that set a task of power transition by means of new elections. The prosecutor general’s office opened a criminal case following its establishment on charges of public calls for the seizure of state power and the infringement on the country’s national security. Later, another criminal case was initiated against the Council’s presidium members on charges of establishing an extremist organization seeking to seize state power.

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