These are British military attaché Timothy Wight-Boycott and British deputy ambassador Lisa Thumwood, Belarusian news site TUT.BY reported. British diplomats have since left Belarus.
“According to information from law enforcement agencies, these people gathered information about the internal political situation in Belarus and the progress of the protests,” reported TV channel ONT. The diplomats are also accused of meeting representatives of human rights organizations and other non-governmental organizations.
The military attaché is said to have visited regions repeatedly for the same purpose. In July, Belarusian colleagues had already issued warnings to the defense department representative, but they were all ignored, the reports said.
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British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the expulsion “entirely unjustified”. “Lukashenko cannot hide the oppression of his own people,” Raab tweeted. “The only way forward is free and fair elections and accountability to those responsible for violence against protesters.”
On October 9, the United Kingdom recalled its ambassador from Belarus to London for consultations. This decision was taken as a sign of solidarity with the expulsion of Polish and Lithuanian diplomats.
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