UK expels 2 Belarusian diplomats in tit-for-tat move

LONDON

In a tit-for-tat move, the UK on Tuesday expelled two Belarusian diplomats.

“The UK will not be cowed by the attempts of [Alexander] Lukashenko’s regime to stop us speaking out about the rigged election & the despicable violence against the Belarusian people,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote on Twitter.

“Today, we have expelled 2 Belarusian diplomats in response to the unjustified expulsion of diplomats,” Raab’s post read.

Belarus on Monday declared the two British diplomats persona non grata due to their alleged "destructive activity".

After the expulsion of British diplomats, Raab said the move was “wholly unjustified”.

"Lukashenko can't hide the oppression of his own people,” the foreign secretary wrote on Twitter, calling for new, “free and fair elections” in Belarus."

Meanwhile, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The expulsion of the UK defence attache based on fabricated and misleading accusations is a flagrant attempt to divert attention from the growing oppression to free speech and freedoms inside Belarus by the Lukashenko regime.”

Belarus has been rocked by mass protests since veteran President Alexander Lukashenko was reelected in an Aug. 9 election his opponents say was rigged.

Lukashenko officially won the election with 80.1% of votes. His main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya secured only 10.12% of votes, according to the Central Election Commission.