An arrest warrant has been issued against former Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on Russian territory, according to Russian Interior Ministry database.
“Warrant ground: criminal code clause,” the database says.
Meanwhile, a source in Russian law enforcement told TASS that the arrest warrant had been initially issued in Belarus, but it also extends to Russia, due to bilateral agreement between the two nations. Such interstate arrest warrant is not considered an international one, the source explained.
“Currently, no international arrest warrant has been issued against former presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya,” the source said.
Nationwide demonstrations have 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. After the results of the exit polls were announced late on August 9, mass protests erupted in downtown Minsk and other Belarusian cities. During the early post-election period, the rallies snowballed into fierce clashes between the protesters and police. The current unrest is being cheered on by the opposition’s Coordination Council, which has been beating the drum for more protests. In response, the Belarusian authorities have castigated the ongoing turmoil and demanded that these unauthorized demonstrations be stopped.
Previously, another arrest warrant had been issued against another Belarusian presidential candidate Valery Tsepkalo.
