Police detain protesters
BELARUS OPPOSITION have said that four leading activists were arrested by police in Minsk during a protest against the election result. Opposition supporters defied police and braved sub-zero temperatures overnight, camping out in a central square, accusing President Alexander Lukashenko of rigging the vote. They are demanding fresh elections. The EU and US have condemned the poll as flawed, but Russia says it was fair – results announced earlier this week gave Mr Lukashenko victory with 82.6 per cent of the vote, the runner-up, Alexander Milinkevich, six per cent.
