White House says 'deeply concerned' by Belarus election

The White House said Monday it is "deeply concerned" by the presidential election in Belarus and urged authorities to allow protests.

President Donald Trump's press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that "intimidation of opposition candidates and the detention of peaceful protesters" were among numerous factors that "marred the process."

"We urge the Belarussian government to respect the right to peaceably assemble and refrain from use of force," she told reporters.

President Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus' ruler for a quarter century, has been named the landslide winner of the election. Police are violently cracking down on protesters who say the poll was rigged against opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.