Anti-Lukashendo protests continue in Belarus

Protesters took to the streets of the capital of Belarus, Minsk, on Wednesday for another night of demonstration against the nation's authoritarian president and an election the opposition sees as rigged.

During the first few days of post election protests, police detained nearly 7,000 people and beat hundreds, drawing international outrage.

The government has since avoided large-scale violence and sought to end the protests with threats, selective detention of protesters and prosecution of activists.

The Interior Ministry said 128 people were detained across the country on Tuesday for taking part in unsanctioned demonstrations, including 95 in the capital, Minsk.

It said on Wednesday that 39 of the detainees remained in custody pending court hearings.

Lukashenko, who has run the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for 26 years, has dismissed protesters as Western puppets.

The United States and the European Union have criticized the Aug. 9 presidential election as neither free nor fair and urged Belarusian authorities to engage in a dialogue with the opposition.

Lukashenko has dismissed the West's input.