Russian President Vladimir Putin warns the world not to interfere in Belarus
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned world leaders against interfering in Belarus, country engulfed in the political crisis, as protests against its leader continued to swell.
Also read | Won’t work, if we can’t do honest journalism: Belarus media goes on strike over election result and censorship
Putin spoke to French President and German chancellor in separate phone calls and said that any such attempts would lead to an escalation of the political crisis in Belarus.
Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, on Tuesday awarded medals "for impeccable service" to law enforcement officials who have helped him crack down on protesters who have been demanding he step down for the last 10 days.
Also read:Belarus President Lukashenko gives nod to fresh elections
Meanwhile, Factory workers in Belarus continued to strike on Tuesday, turning up pressure on the country's authoritarian leader to step down after winning an election they say was rigged.
More state-controlled companies and factories on Tuesday joined the strike that began the day before and encompassed several major tractor factories in Minsk, a huge potash factory in Soligorsk that accounts for a fifth of the world's potash fertiliser output and is the nation's top cash earner, state television and the country's most prominent theater.
The strikes follow nine days of unprecedented mass protests against election results that handed President Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term with 80 per cent of the votes while his top challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya apparently only received 10 per cent.
(With inputs from agencies)