Politico reports:

The Belarusian opposition accused the nation’s authorities of “terror” after Maria Kolesnikova, a vocal critic of President Alexander Lukashenko, was abducted in downtown Minsk on Monday morning.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Lukashenko’s main rival during the August election, said in a statement from Lithuania that “the regime is engaged in terror.”

“The authorities are wrong when they think it will stop us,” she said. “The more they intimidate, the more people will go out. We will continue to fight, we will seek the release of all prisoners and the holding of a new and fair election.”

Kolesnikova was the last of the three women who joined forces to mount a formidable electoral challenge to Lukashenko remaining in Belarus. Tikhanovskaya was forced to flee to Lithuania under pressure from the authorities, while Veronika Tsepkalo is currently abroad for safety reasons.

Kolesnikova’s disappearance is part of an ongoing crackdown by the authorities that has seen more violence against street protests. More than 600 people were detained after Sunday’s massive anti-Lukashenko protests, authorities said. There is also an effort to cripple the opposition Coordination Council, a body created to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Lukashenko has denounced it as illegal. [Continue reading…]