Belarus Updates: 5 Presidential Candidates, 12 Others Accused of "Organising Riots"

UPDATE 1155 GMT: Aleksandr Klaskovsky, the "hero policeman" who urged fellow police not to beat demonstrators on Sunday, has now repented for his "idiotic" actions.

Klaskovsky is the son of the prominent journalist and political analyst by the same name.

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On Sunday, after the disputed re-election of President Aleksandr Lukashenko with 80% of the vote, more than 600 demonstrators were arrested amidst clashes with the police in front of Government buildings.

An activist website claims that 17 people, including five of the nine opposition candidates (two others were released on Tuesday), have now been charged with "organising riots":

Earlier Updates: US Declares Elections Illegitimate

1. Vladimir Neklyaev, presidential candidate

2. Andrei Sannikov, presidential candidate

3. Gregory Kostusev, presidential candidate

4. Alexander Atroschankav, spokesman for the electoral headquarters of Andrei Sannikov

5. Alexei Mikhalevich, presidential candidate

6. Vitaly Rymashevsky, presidential candidate

7. Paul Sevyarynets, "trustee candidate" of Vitaly Rimashevsky

8. Dmitry Bondarenko, coordinator of the civil campaign "European Belarus"

9. Irina Khalip, journalist and wife of Andrei Sannikov

10. Natalia Radin, journalist, editor of the website Charter97

11. Anatoly Lebedko, chairman of the United Civil Party

12. Anastasia Palazhanka, deputy chairman of the Youth Front

13. Andrey Dmitriev, campaign manager for Vladimir Neklyaev

14. Alexander Feduta, political scientist and election coordinator for Vladimir Neklyaev

15. Nikolai Statkevich, presidential candidate

16. Alexander Klaskouski, former police officer

17. Vladimir Kobets, campaign manager for Andrei Sannikov

The charge of organising riots is punishable by a prison term of 5 to 15 years. Participation in riots carries a sentence of 3 to 8 years. 

Three other members of the Youth Front have been charged with "hooliganism", which carries a prison term of 3 to 10 years.