MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belarus will close its land borders to its own citizens later this month to try to combat COVID-19, the government said late on Wednesday, a move the country's opposition leader likened to imprisoning the population in a Stalin-era prison camp.

Belarus has been rocked by protests since an Aug. 9 presidential election in which incumbent Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory. Opponents say the vote was rigged and want him to quit. Police use force to break up any protests.