16:05,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, ARMENPRESS. President of the European Council Charles Michel has announced he will convene a meeting of European Council members to discuss the situation in Belarus.

“I will call a meeting of the members of the European Council this Wednesday 12h00 to discuss the situation in #Belarus,” Michel tweeted. “The people of Belarus have the right to decide on their future and freely elect their leader. Violence against protesters is unacceptable and cannot be allowed.”

Mass protests are underway in the Belarusian capital of Minsk following the August 9 presidential election, where President Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected to office with 80,1 % of votes, according to the country’s electoral commission. The demonstrators claim the election was rigged and call for new polls.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan