The Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office named the participants in the torture of Maksim Kharoshyn, an 87-year-old senior citizen was fined for a white-red-white flag, two famous athletes signed a letter in support of Lukashenko – colleagues are shocked
15 December 2020 | BYHelp-Mediagroup
Source: TUT.BY
The General Prosecutor’s Office of Lithuania named the participants in the abduction and beating of Maksim Kharoshyn. Mikalai Karpiankou, the head of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, is one of them
Source: TUT.BY
On 9 December 2020, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Lithuania began a pre-trial investigation of crimes against humanity following a complaint by Maksim Kharoshyn, a Belarusian citizen who is currently in Lithuania. On 13 October in Minsk Maksim was detained, tortured and severely beaten by the security forces until he was in need of the medical assistance. This kind of cases, where torture is a crime against humanity, are subject to universal jurisdiction under the Lithuanian Criminal Code. Universal jurisdiction means that, in accordance with international treaties, criminal liability for crimes is applied regardless of the citizenship of the victims and suspects. Today, 15 December, as a part of this investigation the names of the security forces who had participated in the abduction and beatings of Maksim were published in The Unified Crime Registry. According to the information provided, the head of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Belarus, Mikalai Karpiankou, together with his subordinates, and with the connivance of Andrei Bakach, the head of the Pershamaiski police office, participated in the abduction and torture of Kharoshyn. If their guilt is established, the perpetrators will be placed on Interpol’s wanted list and may be detained in virtually any country in the world.
87-year-old senior citizen was fined for hanging a white-red-white flag on the balcony
Source: Komsomolskaya Pravda
Today in Minsk 87-year-old Lizaveta Bursava has been tried for hanging a white-red-white flag on the balcony of her apartment as it is considered to be an unauthorized action. Bursava has been found guilty and fined 405 Belarusian rubles ($ 160). In Belarus, many seniors receive a monthly pension of about this amount. Lizaveta did not agree with the ruling. She does not see her action as a crime, because Lukashenko took his oath under this flag in 1994. By giving her this fine the judge actually recognized Lizaveta Bursava as a “supporter of fascism,” because Lukashenko, followed by the propaganda channels, consider the national white-red-white symbols of Belarus to be fascist. At the same time, Lizaveta is one of the few Jewish people who survived the Second World War. Many sympathetic people, including representatives of the Jewish community, came to support the elderly woman. Immediately after the trial, the money for the fine was collected so that elderly Lizaveta would not have to pay out of her own pocket.
A worker sentenced to three years in jail for posting comments about a former Interior Minister on YouTube
Yury Karnilovich, a MAZ employee from Minsk, received three years behind bars for leaving a comment under a YouTube video about the Interior Minister at the time, Yury Karaieu. The comment was deleted when it became an object of interest to the police. Karnilovich had to apologize on camera as well as post a comment in which he asked for Karaieu’s forgiveness. Since the comment was obscene, the court gave the general meaning: “Karaieu will get scared before he tells the president that he will comply with the Constitution.” The court considered the comment to be insulting, inflicting moral suffering, and undermining the authority of Karaieu as well as the authority of the Internal Affairs in general. Karnilovich pleaded guilty in part, but said he did not consider the comment offensive.
Former Muay Thai champions Valent and Kulebin signed a letter in support of Lukashenko, their colleagues are in shock
Source: Nasha Niva
Andrei Kulebin and Dmitry Valent, multiple World and European champions, unexpectedly for their colleagues, signed a pro-government letter in support of Lukashenko. Neither of them was able to explain their position and declined to comment. According to the coaches, many boxers were offered to sign this letter being threatening with the termination of their gym leases and the revision of their salaries. But not a lot of them agreed. Vital Hurkou, a multiple Muay Thai world champion, one of the most famous Belarusian athletes, who has been repeatedly persecuted by the authorities for speaking out against the Lukashenko regime, commented on Valent and Kulebin’s actions. “Sometimes it is much more difficult to be the champion in life than in the ring. As a fellow athlete, I must try to understand and forgive them: life plans, contracts, loans, and apartments. They are not bad guys. But with a similar approach, one can also justify the riot police who gasses senior citizens. I very much hope that they just do not fully understand what they have done. I can imagine how difficult it will be for them because most of their fans are disappointed in them,” said Hurkou.
Belarusian sambo wrestler Stsiapan Papou, a multiple world champion and the athlete who carried the ceremonial torch at the II European Games in Minsk and had recently been fired for his political position, also reacted to the signing of a pro-government letter by well-known Thai boxers: “Everyone makes their own choices, but I did not expect it from them.”
Not so long ago, a letter from athletes in support of Lukashenko and the current government appeared on the website athletes.by. Many of the athletes indicated in the letter denied signing it. They are outraged and worried that even their close friends have turned away from them.
For more information on the events of 15 December 2020, please visit Infocenter Free Belarus 2020:
