Belarus police detain dozens of protesters at anti-government rally

Law enforcement officers scuffle with demonstrators during a women's rally against police brutality following protests to reject the presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus September 12, 2020. Tut.By/Handout via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained at least 46 protesters on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in the Belarus capital Minsk demanding the release of a jailed opposition leader, the latest in a wave of mass protests following a disputed election.

Maria Kolesnikova, 38, has emerged as a key opposition figure after others were either jailed or forced out of the country, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election.