Belarus activists go missing, colleagues fear detention

A leing opposition activist in Belarus and two or members of an opposition council went missing Monday, raising fears y were detained as authorities seek to squelch nearly a month of protests against re-election of country’s authoritarian leer.

Maria Kolesnikova, a member of Coordination Council created by opposition to facilitate talks with President Alexander Lukashenko on a transition of power, was reportedly put on a minibus in capital, Minsk, and driven away by unidentified people. Last week, Kolesnikova anunced creation of a new opposition party.

Her disappearance follows a massive rally Sunday in Minsk that drew an estimated 100,000 protesters demanding resignation of Lukashenko, who extended his 26-year rule in an Aug. 9 election that opposition and some poll workers say was rigged.

Sunday’s demonstrations in Minsk and or cities went on despite authorities warning that participants could face reprisals. Interior Ministry said 633 people were detained Sunday for taking part in unsanctioned protests.

Council member Maxim Znak said Kolesnikova’s colleagues fear she was detained and two or council members also couldn’t be reached Monday.

Belarusian Interior Ministry said it hasn’t detained Kolesnikova but State Security Committee that still goes under Soviet-era name KGB has kept mum.

Coordination Council deunced what it described as “methods of terror used by government inste of a dialogue with society.”

“Such methods are unlawful and will only exacerbate situation in country, deepen crisis and fuel more protests,” it said in a statement.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius tweeted that Kolesnikova’s disappearance is part of Belarusian government’s effort to “cynically eliminate one by one” leers of protests and called for her immediate release.

After a brutal crackdown on protesters in first few days after vote that stoked international outr and swelled ranks of protesters, authorities in Belarus have switched to threats and selective arrests of opposition activists and demonstrators.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert strongly condemned all arrests in Belarus, ting that “ only response that Lukashenko and his people seem to have for ( protesters) at moment is naked violence.”

“We demand immediate release of all those who were arrested before elections, on day of election and since election, simply for exerting ir democratic, self-evidential rights as citizens,” he said.

Targeting protest leers, Belarusian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe of Coordination Council that opposition activists set up after election to try to negotiate a transition of power.

Two council member, Sergei Dylevsky and Olga Kovalkova, were given 10-day jail sentences and, after serving m, handed new 15-day prison terms. Kovalkova surfaced in Poland on Saturday, saying authorities pressured her to leave country after threatening to keep her in jail for a long time.

Several or council members have been called in for questioning.

Sviatlana Tsikhauskaya, main opposition challenger to Lukashenko in election, moved to Lithuania a day after vote under pressure from authorities. She said Monday that Kolesnikova’s disappearance marked ar attempt by government to intimidate opposition.

“It’s an attempt to derail work of Coordination Council, but we will t be stopped,” she said. “ more y try to scare us, more people will take to streets. We will continue our struggle and push for release of all political prisoners and a new, fair election.”

former teacher ran against Lukashenko after her husband, a popular blogger, was jailed. Two or top potential challengers were blocked from running. One was jailed on money laundering charges he dismissed as a political vendetta, and ar one fled country with his children before election, fearing arrest.

Last week, Kolesnikova anunced creation of a new party, Toger. She said move will help overcome current crisis, but party founders’ call for constitutional changes has stunned some or opposition council members, who argued that it could divert attention from main goal of getting Lukashenko to step down.