Almost 30 People Detained in Belarus During Saturday Demonstrations

MINSK (Sputnik) - The Belarusian Interior Ministry said that 29 people were detained during rallies opposing the outcome of the presidential election that took place on Saturday across the country.

"In total, 35 violations of the law on mass events were registered across the republic as a result of the proceedings conducted by the internal affairs agencies; 29 people were detained until the court hearings on administrative violations cases", the ministry said in a statement released on Sunday.

The Interior Ministry noted that more than 8,500 people participated in the rallies on Saturday, while a total of 42 "political activity hotbeds" were registered throughout Belarus. Demonstrations were held in 24 localities of the country. 

Mass opposition protests broke out across Belarus following a presidential election on 9 August that saw incumbent Alexander Lukashenko reelected for a sixth term. While electoral authorities maintain that Alexander Lukashenko collected over 80 percent of the vote, the opposition insists that his key contender, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won the election. Opposition figures also accuse the security forces of resorting to excessive violence during the protests.