Belarussian courts yesterday began trying opposition protesters detained when police broke up a weekend rally against a presidential election judged unfair in the West

The opposition had rallied up to 10,000 supporters for protests over the past week, demonstrations unmatched in recent years in a country ruled with a Soviet-style authoritarian hand by veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Police on Saturday broke up the protests against Lukashenko’s landslide re-election on March 19 and detained demonstrators, prompting rebukes from European countries and pledges of more rallies from the opposition.

Yesterday, buses drove dozens of mostly young people from detention centers in the capital Minsk to court. They face sentences of up to 15 days in jail for joining unauthorized rallies and violating public order.

Among those detained was Alexander Kozulin, an opposition presidential challenger. Police have declined to say where Kozulin is being held and it was not clear if he would appear in court.

Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich – who along with Kozulin called the protests after polls gave Lukashenko, criticized in the West for his authoritarian rule but viewed by Moscow as an ally – 83 percent of the vote.

Police said they only used force after the opposition rally turned violent and endangered their men. They have not disclosed the number of the detained but the opposition say around 100 protesters are being held.

Milinkevich has pledged new rallies and said the “bestial savagery” of the government showed it had lost all authority.