An opposition politician who stood against long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko in the controversial 2020 presidential election has been detained, his team said, writes Reuters.

Andrei Dmitriev, 41, an activist who leads an anti-Lukashenko social movement was detained in the capital Minsk, according to a message posted on his Facebook page.

The reason for his custody was not yet known, it added.

There was no comment from authorities in Belarus on the detention.