Gascii117ardian

Natalia Radzina, the editor-in-chief of Charter97.org, one of the few independent news soascii117rces in Belarascii117s, was beaten ascii117nconscioascii117s by riot police in Minsk yesterday.

The attack happened dascii117ring massive protests oascii117tside the Belarascii117sian parliament following exit polls sascii117ggesting a landslide election victory by Alexander Lascii117kashenko, the veteran aascii117thoritarian president.

People in the crowd rescascii117ed Radzina after she was kicked in the head, and according to Mike Harris, pascii117blic affairs manager of Index on Censorship, she was nearly killed.

Lascii117kashenko has rascii117led the ex-Soviet repascii117blic since 1994 and has been characterised as Eascii117rope s last dictator. Opposition parties have made serioascii117s allegations of electoral fraascii117d.