Most of the pro-democracy protesters arrested by Belarusian police in Minsk last week were students - and several were relatives of leading opponents of President Alaksandr Lukashenka.

The protesters, who had camped in October Square, were calling for a rerun of the March 19 poll that returned Mr Lukashenka to power for a third term.

International observers have questioned the validity of the results.

Students arrested for what the Belarusian authorities consider "political"

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offences are likely to be expelled from university.

Alaksandr Kazulin, former presidential candidate and former rector of the Belarusian State University, said: "Our youth has shown all its heroism, but the authorities couldn't stand it."

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A student who brought pancakes for the campers was arrested, put in a detention cell and force-fed the batch. Among those taken into custody was the son of Alaksandr Milinkievich, opposition presidential candidate.