Lukashenko called Protasevich’s detention a fight against neo-Nazism

He said the authorities took the toughest measures.

“Our actions could seem excessive to those who justify their atrocities. But this strategy is vital for the country,” Lukashenka said.

According to him, “ill-wishers” of Belarus have moved from “organizing riots to the stage of strangulation.”

“As we predicted, our ill-wishers from outside and inside the country have changed the methods of attacking the state. They have crossed many red lines, crossed the boundaries of common sense and human morality,” Lukashenka said.

He also said that Belarus acted as a sovereign state does, deciding to expel the employees of the Latvian embassy.

– .