Belarus election: Opposition leader Tikhanovskaya fled ‘for sake of her children’

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has said she had taken a “very difficult decision” to leave the country, after disputing an election she claimed was rigged.

Ms Tikhanovskaya said she did it for her children as protests continued for a second night. One person has died.

She was “safe” now in Lithuania, the country’s foreign minister said.

Poll results gave President Alexander Lukashenko 80% of the vote, but there have been numerous claims of fraud.

Violent clashes between police and protesters over the two nights since the election was held have left at least one person dead, and there have been numerous reports of police brutality.

Ms Tikhanovskaya is said to have galvanised the opposition, which presented a stronger than ever challenge to the autocratic Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled the former Soviet country since 1994.

The president, however, has described opposition supporters as “sheep” controlled from abroad.