Poland says it will support Belarus civil society, media

Poland will seek to support Belarus by loosening visa restrictions, opening the labor market for Belarusians, and supporting civil society and independent media, Poland's Prime Minister said on Friday, after a violent crackdown on post-election protests.

Poland, which will invest around 50 million zlotys initially as part of the new support program, will also establish scholarships for repressed academics in the country, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a parliamentary session.

The protests in Belarus pose the biggest challenge yet to strongman President Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule. The protesters accuse Lukashenko of rigging last Sunday's presidential election to win a sixth term.