Workers hold a banner reading "we are not cattle, we are not sheep, we are workers of the Minsk Tractor Works Plant, we are not 20 people, we are 16,000" as they march to support their colleagues of the Minsk Automobile Plant in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. The top opposition candidate in Belarus' presidential vote who left the country last week announced Monday she was ready to "act as a national leader" to help Belarus transition to a rerun of an election that extended the 26-year rule of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and sparked unprecedented mass protests. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Workers of the Minsk Tractor Works Plant march to support their colleagues of the Minsk Automobile Plant in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. The top opposition candidate in Belarus' presidential vote who left the country last week announced Monday she was ready to "act as a national leader" to help Belarus transition to a rerun of an election that extended the 26-year rule of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and sparked unprecedented mass protests. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Workers of the Minsk Tractor Works Plant carry an old Belarusian national flag as they march demanding authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to resign, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in Minsk, Belarus. Nearly 5,000 workers from the Minsk Tractor Works plant, which has been on strike since Monday morning, marched down the streets of Minsk, demanding that Lukashenko steps down and cedes his post to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a top opposition candidate. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Workers of the Minsk Tractor Works Plant march demanding authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to resign, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in Minsk, Belarus. Nearly 5,000 workers from the Minsk Tractor Works plant, which has been on strike since Monday morning, marched down the streets of Minsk, demanding that Lukashenko steps down and cedes his post to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a top opposition candidate. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Workers with handmade posters reading "Go away!" march toward the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko addresses employees in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. The top opposition candidate in Belarus' presidential vote who left the country last week announced Monday she was ready to "act as a national leader" to help Belarus transition to a rerun of an election that extended the 26-year rule of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and sparked unprecedented mass protests. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Workers hold a banner reading "we are not cattle, we are not sheep, we are workers of the Minsk Tractor Works Plant, we are not 20 people, we are 16,000" in front of the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko addresses employees in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. The top opposition candidate in Belarus' presidential vote who left the country last week announced Monday she was ready to "act as a national leader" to help Belarus transition to a rerun of an election that extended the 26-year rule of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and sparked unprecedented mass protests. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Workers with old Belarusian national flags march toward the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko addresses employees in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. The top opposition candidate in Belarus' presidential vote who left the country last week announced Monday she was ready to "act as a national leader" to help Belarus transition to a rerun of an election that extended the 26-year rule of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and sparked unprecedented mass protests. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Workers with posters reading "Go away!" march toward the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko addresses employees, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in Minsk, Belarus. Several thousand plant workers took to the streets of Minsk on Monday, demanding authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to resign in a ninth straight day of protesting against the results of an election that extended his 26-year rule. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Maria Kolesnikova, Tsikhanouskaya's top associated, speaks to a crowd gathered at the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko addresses employees in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. Several thousand plant workers took to the streets of Minsk on Monday, demanding authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to resign in a ninth straight day of protesting against the results of an election that extended his 26-year rule. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Workers march toward the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko addresses employees in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. Several thousand plant workers took to the streets of Minsk on Monday, demanding authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to resign in a ninth straight day of protests against the results of an election that extended his 26-year rule. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Workers of Minskenergo (Minsk Energy Company) hold a poster reading "Lukashenko go away!" during the rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - The Belarusian strongman, who has ruled his ex-Soviet country with an iron grip since 1994, is under increasing pressure from the streets and abroad over his claim to have won re-election on August 9, with 80 percent of the vote. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Workers of Minskenergo (Minsk Energy Company) raise their hands during a rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - The Belarusian strongman, who has ruled his ex-Soviet country with an iron grip since 1994, is under increasing pressure from the streets and abroad over his claim to have won re-election on August 9, with 80 percent of the vote. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's helicopter approaches the MZKT plant of the heavy off-road vehicles in Minsk, on August 17, 2020. - Protesters gathered outside several factories and the headquarters of state television in Minsk on August 17, 2020, following a call from Belarus's opposition for a general strike over a disputed election. AFP journalists saw protesters waving the opposition's red and white flag at the television channel and the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), which President Alexander Lukashenko was due to visit. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

A worker of Minskenergo (Minsk Energy Company) shouts during their rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020. - Protesters gathered outside several factories and the headquarters of state television in Minsk on August 17, 2020, following a call from Belarus's opposition for a general strike over a disputed election. AFP journalists saw protesters waving the opposition's red and white flag at the television channel and the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), which President Alexander Lukashenko was due to visit. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

A helicopter of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko approaches the MZKT plant of the heavy off-road vehicles in Minsk, on August 17, 2020. - Protesters gathered outside several factories and the headquarters of state television in Minsk on August 17, 2020, following a call from Belarus's opposition for a general strike over a disputed election. AFP journalists saw protesters waving the opposition's red and white flag at the television channel and the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), which President Alexander Lukashenko was due to visit. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Workers of Minskenergo (Minsk Energy Company) shout during a rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - Protesters gathered outside several factories and the headquarters of state television in Minsk on August 17, 2020, following a call from Belarus's opposition for a general strike over a disputed election. AFP journalists saw protesters waving the opposition's red and white flag at the television channel and the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), which President Alexander Lukashenko was due to visit. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on August 17, 2020 shows presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (L) during a press conference the day after Belarus' presidential election in Minsk on August 10, 2020 and Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting with his Russian counterpart at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 30, 2017. - The main challenger in Belarus's disputed presidential election said on August 17, 2020 that she was ready to take over the country's leadership after a wave of protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. (Photos by Sergei GAPON and Sergei GUNEYEV / various sources / AFP)

Maria Kolesnikova (R), a representative of Belarusian politician Viktor Babariko and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's campaign rally speaks during a rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - The Belarusian strongman, who has ruled his ex-Soviet country with an iron grip since 1994, is under increasing pressure from the streets and abroad over his claim to have won re-election on August 9, with 80 percent of the vote. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Maria Kolesnikova (C), a representative of Belarusian politician Viktor Babariko and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's campaign rally raises her hand during a rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - The Belarusian strongman, who has ruled his ex-Soviet country with an iron grip since 1994, is under increasing pressure from the streets and abroad over his claim to have won re-election on August 9, with 80 percent of the vote. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Belarus opposition supporters gather in front of the MZKT plant of the heavy off-road vehicles during a rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - The Belarusian strongman, who has ruled his ex-Soviet country with an iron grip since 1994, is under increasing pressure from the streets and abroad over his claim to have won re-election on August 9, with 80 percent of the vote. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Belarus opposition supporters gather in front of the MZKT plant of the heavy off-road vehicles during a rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - The Belarusian strongman, who has ruled his ex-Soviet country with an iron grip since 1994, is under increasing pressure from the streets and abroad over his claim to have won re-election on August 9, with 80 percent of the vote. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Belarus opposition supporters gather in front of the MZKT plant of the heavy off-road vehicles during a rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - The Belarusian strongman, who has ruled his ex-Soviet country with an iron grip since 1994, is under increasing pressure from the streets and abroad over his claim to have won re-election on August 9, with 80 percent of the vote. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)

Belarus opposition supporters gather in front of the MZKT plant of the heavy off-road vehicles during a rally in Minsk, on August 17, 2020, after incumbent president rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. - The Belarusian strongman, who has ruled his ex-Soviet country with an iron grip since 1994, is under increasing pressure from the streets and abroad over his claim to have won re-election on August 9, with 80 percent of the vote. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP)