Belarusian leader Lukashenko replaces his interior minister amid protests

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko replaced his interior minister on Thursday, the Belta state news agency reported, as he faces mass protests calling for him to leave power.

In a related move, Lukashenko named three senior figures with security backgrounds, including outgoing interior minister Yuri Karayev, as presidential aides. The reshuffle marked the latest move by Lukashenko to tighten his grip on domestic security in the face of demonstrations and strikes that have gripped the country for nearly 12 weeks since a disputed election.

The new interior minister is Ivan Kurbakov, who has the head of police in the capital Minsk has led the crackdown in the epicenter of the protests since the Aug. 9 election.