Thousands rally ahead of presidential election

Thousands of people gathered in the capital of Belarus on Thursday to support opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsihanaouvskaya, three days before the former Soviet republic goes to the polls to choose its next president.

Tsihanaouvskaya is seen as the biggest threat in two decades to the country's long-time ruler, President Alexander Lukashenko.

Sviatlana Tsihanaouvskaya is running for president after her husband, a popular YouTuber, was first barred from running and then jailed on what have been described as politically motivated charges.

Tsihanouvskaya's team, which was initially allowed to campaign freely across the country, has faced bans on its gatherings in recent days.

Thursday's rally saw her supporters gather in a local park for a protest rally, but the protest was called off.

One of her campaign team, Maria Kolesnikova, was blocked by police from entering, and said the rally was being cancelled to prevent any violation of the law.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for 26 years, is facing an upsurge in opposition protests fueled by the worsening economy and the government's botched response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Police have detained over 1,360 participants in opposition protests since the start of the campaign in May, according to the Viasna human rights center in Belarus.