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The
Poland-based Nexta Live channel said the office of U.S.
broadcaster Radio Liberty in the capital Minsk was among those
raided. Belarusian human rights organisation Viasna-96 reported
that two Radio Liberty journalists had been detained.
Belarusian security officials were not immediately available for
comment.
The authorities have shut down a number of non-state media
outlets and human rights groups since protests began last August
against a presidential election which the opposition say was
rigged. Lukashenko, in power since 1994, denies electoral fraud.
Police officers went on Friday to the homes of a journalist from
Polish TV channel Belsat and those of several local reporters,
Viasna-96 reported.
On Wednesday and Thursday, security officials conducted searches
in around 20 human rights, charitable, media and expert
institutions, detaining more than 15 people, including the head
of Viasna-96.
The searches and detentions in the former Soviet republic have
been condemned by Western politicians, international human
rights activists and Belarusian protest leader Sviatlana
Tsikhanouskaya, who is based in Lithuania.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said Britain condemns
an "escalation in repression" in Belarus, and the European Union
and United States have imposed sanctions on Belarus in recent
months.
(Writing by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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