Belarusian opposition politician Kolesnikova suspected of state treason: RIA cites lawyer

Belarusian opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova is being detained under suspicion of state treason, as part of a criminal case involving an attempt to seize power, the Russian news agency RIA cited her lawyer as saying today.

Kolesnikova was snatched in the street by masked men on Monday. She is prominent leader of protests demanding the resignation of leader Alexander Lukashenko following an Aug. 9 presidential election that the opposition says was rigged. Lukashenko denies vote-rigging.

Nobel prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich, one of Kolesnikova's allies, accused the Belarus authorities of terrorizing their own people on Wednesday as another opposition politician was detained by masked men in plain clothes.