VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS - Several tens of Belarusians living in Lithuania staged a rally in central Vilnius on Friday evening to express solidarity with protesters demanding free elections and the release of political prisoners in their home country. 

Participants of the rally in Vinco Kudirkos Square outside the government building held several Belarusian historical white-red-white flags and portraits of political prisoners.

Viktoryia Andrukovich, one of the organizers, said the demonstration was aimed at showing solidarity with detainees and protesters in her home country.

"This demonstration is (in support) for those who are currently being held illegally in Belarus," the 25-year-old graphic designer told BNS. "We currently have more than 20 political prisoners in Belarus".

Andrukovich said the demonstration was timed to coincide with the day of registration of candidates for August's presidential election in Belarus.   

"There's a lot of repression at the moment, especially against those who support our alternative candidates. Illegal searches are also underway and people are being charged illegally," she said. 

Violeta, a 44-year-old Belarusian engineer who has lived in Lithuania for five years, said she wanted to be proud of her country but could not because of the current regime. 

"We are here because we want to be proud of our homeland, we want to be proud of our president. We are not satisfied with the current president," she told BNS.

'Election without Lukashenko'

All demonstrators interviewed said they wanted a democratic and free election. 

Some held posters demanding that President Alexander Lukashenko return Belarus' citizens the right to choose. 

Mikhail Prokudin, a 24-year-old designer, said he wanted a free and democratic election without the incumbent running for reelection. 

"We want an election without Lukashenko, an election where we would be free to choose, and (we want) transparency in vote counting," he told BNS. 

Belarusian law-enforcement authorities have intensified a crackdown on opposition candidates ahead of the August 9 election in which Lukashenko is seeking a sixth term. 

In early June, Mikola Statkevich, an opposition politician, was sentenced to 15 days in jail. Dozens of activists were detained following demonstrations across the country. 

Sergei Tikhanovsky, a popular opposition blogger who calls Lukashenko a "cockroach", was detained last month on public order charges. Authorities have opened a criminal investigation against him and his supporters.

Viktor Babaryko, a former banker seen as Lukashenko's main rival in the August election, was detained on Thursday on suspicion of financial crimes. 

Yuri Gubarevich, another presidential candidate, was also detained.  

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