Last opposition leader in Belarus ‘abducted by masked men’ as Lukashenko prepares for Moscow talks

Maria Kolesnikova snatched from the street and bundled into a minibus, according to witness

The last female Belarusian opposition leader left in the country has reportedly been abducted by masked men in Minsk as emboldened authoritarian Alexander Lukashenko looks to crush opposition to his presidency.

Maria Kolesnikova was snatched from the street and bundled into a minibus in the centre of the capital on Monday, a witness told local media.  

Her apparent kidnapping came after police arrested hundreds of protesters across the country on Sunday as part of crackdown on opposition to Mr Lukashenko, whose hand has apparently been strengthened by increasingly vocal support from Russia in the face of growing international condemnation and looming sanctions.