Belarus says Lithuania broke international law by recognising Tsikhanouskaya as leader

Neighbouring Lithuania violated international law when it recognised opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as Belarusian leader on Sept. 10, Belarus' upper house of parliament said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said this move by Lithuania went "beyond the scope of common sense" and accused Vilnius of blatantly interfering in its internal affairs.

Embattled Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko secured a $1.5 billion loan for Minsk at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday after five weeks of mass protests demanding his resignation.