Belarusian police on Monday threatened to fire live bullets at protesters, claiming that opposition demonstrations against strongman Alexander Lukashenko were becoming ever more radicalized.
"Law enforcement officers and internal troops will not leave the streets and will use riot control equipment and lethal weapons if need be," the interior ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messenger service.
Peaceful protests broke out after Lukashenko claimed victory in Aug. 9 elections over a popular opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who claims to be the true winner.
Police have so far only acknowledged using riot control equipment such as water cannon, rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the protesters.
The Monday statement quoting the first deputy interior minister Gennady Kazakevich was the first time authorities explicitly threatened to use firearms against opposition demonstrators.
On Sunday, police deployed water cannon and stun grenades in Minsk and detained more than 700 people across the country, the interior ministry said.
EU foreign ministers on Monday agreed to impose sanctions on Lukashenko, as the bloc seeks to step up pressure over his regime's crackdown on protesters.
The EU has already imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 40 Lukashenko allies for rigging the election in August that returned him to power and orchestrating a crackdown on mass protests.
The EU had held back from penalising Lukashenko, hoping to persuade him to engage in dialogue with opposition forces to resolve the crisis.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
