The European Union on Tuesday condemned the ongoing violence in Belarus following the elections and said it had “reasonable doubt” about the results.
European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said the bloc was calling for Belarus to “make sure that the choice, the real choice of the Belarusian people is reflected in these results.”
“The authorities have to hear the voice of their people. They have to respect their fundamental rights,” he said.
The top opposition candidate in Belarus’ presidential vote, who initially refused to concede her defeat amid a massive police crackdown on protesters, said Tuesday she has left for Lithuania and called on her supporters to end demonstrations.
Tsikhanouskaya previously dismissed the official results of Sunday’s election showing authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko winning a sixth term by a landslide.
Thousands of opposition supporters who also protested the results met with a tough police crackdown in Minsk and several other Belarusian cities for two straight nights.
The crackdown on protesters drew harsh criticism from the European Union and the United States and will likely complicate Lukashenko’s efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia.
The European Union condemned the police crackdown and called for an immediate release of all those detained.
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