Recent Posts
- Ukraine recovery should be based on development of territorial communities, innovations, involvement of professional domestic community – results of ESUR forum 29.06.2023
- Ukraine repatriates five more seriously wounded Russian POWs 10.04.2023
- Rada intends to include history of Ukraine, foreign language in final certification for general secondary education 10.04.2023
- Rada terminates protocol on joint anti-terrorist measures in CIS territories for Ukraine 10.04.2023
- 100 Ukrainians, incl defenders of Mariupol, returned according to swap procedure – Yermak 10.04.2023
Over 110 people who left comments on death of KGB officer shot in Minsk detained in Belarus – rights activists
MINSK. Oct 4 (Interfax) – More than 110 people have been detained in Belarus from September 29 to October 1 for commenting on the death of the KGB officer who was shot dead last week, the Viasna human rights center, unregistered in Belarus, said.
As reported earlier, Alpha Group commandos on September 28 conducted a special operation to identify people possibly involved in terrorist and extremist activities in Belarus. That day a man residing in an apartment on Minsk’s Yakubovsky Street opened fire and inflicted a fatal wound on the officer of Belarus’ State Security Committee (KGB) codenamed Nirvana. The suspect was killed by return fire.
The farewell ceremony for the late KGB officer was held in Minsk on October 1.
"From September 29 to October 1, several Belarusian towns saw mass detentions of people who left comments on the killing of Andrei Zeltser in the Minsk apartment and the KGB officer. As of October 4, more than 110 people have been detained," Viasna said on Telegram.
Criminal cases have been opened against the detainees on charges of ‘insulting a representative of a public authority’ and ‘inciting to social animosity.’
Belarusian Deputy Interior Minister and Criminal Police Chief Gennady Kazakevich said earlier that police identified more than 200 authors of allegedly insulting comments on the KGB officer’s death in 24 hours.
"Over the past day alone, we have identified more than a hundred of such scoundrels. Furthermore, we have launched a special bot so that citizens could give us such information," he said.
"Over the past 24 hours alone, more than 2,000 citizens applied to police departments. And their reaction was very important for us. Their reaction was simple and human. People expressed condolences. People asked and demanded protection from such virtual fighters and shared information with us – and this is absolutely normal – helping us find these scoundrels," Kazakevich said.
