Belarus opposition preparing to stage new protests

The Belarusian opposition is preparing to stage a new phase of active anti-government protests in Belarus, exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Wednesday.

Mass protests erupted against President Alexander Lukashenko last summer after he declared victory in a presidential election that his opponents said was rigged, but they lost momentum amid a sweeping crackdown by the authorities.

"There's nothing more to wait for - we have to stop the terror once and for all," Tsikhanouskaya said in a statement on social media.