Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tihanovskaya will address the U.N. Security Council on September 4, her team announced Monday.
Tihanovskaya, who is in Lithuania because of security concerns, spoke via online video at Estonia’s invitation. Estonia is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, the Baltic states have imposed travel sanctions on Belarusian leaders, including the long-serving president, Alexander Lukashenko. Calls for Mr. Lukashenko to resign have continued in the wake of the disputed election.
“We need a peaceful dialogue and agreement between the authorities and society, but we see that the authorities are not ready to do that,” Said President Gitanax Noseda in announcing the sanctions on August 31.
Protests erupted in early August after lukashenko was declared the winner of a presidential election that extended his rule after more than two decades in power, amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud.
Tihanovskaya did not accept the election results.
Tens of thousands of people protested in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on Sunday to mark president Alexander Lukashenko’s 66th birthday. The protesters, carrying the opposition white-red-white flag, gathered around Mr. Lukashenko’s residence and confronted security forces armed with shields. Behind the security forces are tumbrils and water cannons. The crowd was reported to have dispersed peacefully during the night, though the Interior Ministry said at least 140 protesters were arrested.
Earlier in August, Mr. Lukashenko said opposition protesters, whom he described as “sheep” manipulated by foreign masters, would face a harsh crackdown.
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