NATO condemns crackdown on Belarus protests

BRUSSELS: Speaking for western allies, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday condemned the crackdown on opposition protests in Belarus and expressed doubt over the fairness of the presidential election.

"NATO Allies have expressed serious concerns over the conduct of the presidential election in Belarus," Stoltenberg said, in a statement from the alliance's Brussels headquarters.

"NATO condemns violence against peaceful protestors. Fundamental rights must be respected, including freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest," he said.

Long-serving Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner of Sunday's presidential poll by a huge margin, but protesters took to the streets to denounce what they see as fraud.

Several European capitals have expressed concern over the results.