Maxim Znak: ‘Masked men’ seize opposition figure in Belarus

One of the last remaining high-profile opposition figures in Belarus has been detained by masked men, local media report.

Colleagues of Maxim Znak, a lawyer and member of the opposition Co-ordination Council, said he had failed to show up for a video meeting on Wednesday.

Witnesses said he had been led down the street by several masked men in plain clothes.

Several other opposition figures were recently detained in the country.

Maria Kolesnikova, one of three women who joined forces to challenge President Alexander Lukashenko in August’s election, is currently in detention after she resisted attempts by the authorities to expel her to Ukraine.

She is the last of the three women leading the opposition to remain inside Belarus.

Mr Znak, meanwhile, is believed to be the last active member of the Co-ordination Council inside the country.

The body was set up by the opposition to oversee a transfer of power after the disputed election. The vote triggered mass protests amid allegations of vote-rigging.