Photo by President.gov.by
April 26, 2024
Alexander Lukashenko was elected chairman of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly; KGB head Tertel announced the prevention of an attack on Minsk from Lithuania; Vilnius decided not to deprive Belarusians traveling home of residence permits; authorities sold the apartment of another political prisoner. The BBC Russian service talks about the main things in Belarus for the week.
This week the seventh congress of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly (VPA) was held in Minsk – this is a new “body of democracy” that received broad powers after amendments to the Constitution of Belarus in 2022. The maximum number of delegates of the Supreme Council is 1,200 people – mostly politicians, officials and civil servants.
The main speaker at the congress was Alexander Lukashenko. In his speech, among other things, he repeated that they want to drag Belarus into the war, and at the same time added that Belarus’ neighbor Poland should not expect any aggressive actions from Minsk.
Lukashenko once again stated that he is not clinging to power and called himself a representative of the “generation of outgoing politicians.” At the same time, during the congress, Lukashenko received a new position as chairman of the Supreme National Assembly – all delegates voted for him, with the exception of one.
Now Lukashenko will simultaneously occupy the chairs of both the president and the head of the Supreme National Assembly.
“The All-Belarusian People’s Assembly is a unique situation for Europe, because [путем создания ВНС] a third chamber in parliament has appeared in Belarus, a kind of supra-parliamentary superstructure,” opposition politician and deputy chairman of the joint transition cabinet Pavel Latushko told the BBC.
Photo by President.gov.by
Photo caption: Delegates of the Supreme Council almost unanimously elected Lukashenko as their chairman
“Latushko claims that Lukashenko initially initiated giving the Supreme National Assembly a constitutional status under pressure from the Kremlin, which demanded the transit of power, but after the strengthening of his regime, the need for the Supreme National Assembly actually disappeared.
Now, according to Latushko, the Supreme National Assembly primarily serves as a “tribune for Lukashenko.”
“This is the fifth wheel of the cart, serving as a platform for Lukashenko’s monologue, where he praises himself, praises his image, where his speeches are interrupted by constant unceasing applause. This reminds me of the congresses of the CPSU,” the politician added.
Latushko also noted that Lukashenko’s phrase that he will go to the next presidential election “if the people call him” is like a played old record that is repeated every election cycle,” and that Lukashenko will not give up power.
The head of the KGB announced the prevention of an attack on Minsk from Lithuania
The Belarusian KGB announced the prevention of drone strikes on Minsk from Lithuanian territory. Vilnius responded by announcing an information attack on Lithuania.
As reported by the state agency BELTA, Chairman of the KGB of Belarus Ivan Tertel said that his department and other structures prevented drone strikes on Minsk from Lithuanian territory.
“The State Security Committee, in cooperation with colleagues from other law enforcement agencies, has recently carried out a number of acute security measures, which made it possible to prevent attacks by combat drones from the territory of Lithuania on targets in Minsk and its suburbs. We continue to work in this area; it is not yet possible to disclose detailed information to the public,” Tertel said.
The head of the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, responded by suggesting that such statements should be viewed as “a constant hostile provocation and information attack on Lithuania, which has nothing to do with reality.”
“It is also clear that they are aimed at a domestic audience, since a “people’s assembly” is currently taking place,” he said (Tertel’s statements were made at the VII All-Belarusian People’s Assembly).
Vitkauskas recalled that Lithuanian citizens entering Belarus face increasing pressure from local security services, and strongly recommended that citizens refrain from any travel to Belarus.
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Lithuania decided not to deprive Belarusians of residence permits
Photo caption: The Seimas of Lithuania did not support the proposal to deprive Belarusians and Russians of residence permits who travel to their homeland too often
The Lithuanian Seimas did not support the proposal to deprive Belarusians and Russians of residence permits who travel to their homeland too often.
Previously, some representatives of the Lithuanian authorities proposed to cancel the residence permits of Belarusian citizens who over the past three months have traveled to their homeland more than once a calendar month.
Lithuanian authorities feared that Belarusians, who often travel to their homeland, could collaborate with Lukashenko’s regime, and this would pose a threat to the country’s national security.
The leader of the Lithuanian Labor Party, Andrius Mazuronis, noted that he sees the adoption of such amendments as more of a PR move than a decision with real consequences. In his opinion, it makes no difference whether a person travels once, twice or three times a month.
The daughter of an oppositionist sentenced to 10 years was detained in Belarus
photo copyrightEkateryna Kostyseva social media
Photo caption, Ekaterina Kostuseva is the daughter of political prisoner Grigory Kostusev, sentenced to 10 years in prison
This week, the daughter of political prisoner Grigory Kastusev was detained in Belarus. A telegram channel close to the security forces posted a video (probably filmed under pressure) in which she reports her detention and says that in 2020 she “assisted” the extremist formation “Vesna”, and a year later she registered in the opposition chat “Plan” Peramoga.”
The girl’s father, head of the opposition party Belarusian Popular Front Grigory Kostusev, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the case of “seizure of power.”
During his imprisonment, he was diagnosed with cancer, and his health condition seriously deteriorated. Kostusev wrote in letters that he doubted that he would live to see his release.
Deadline for cooperation with Belsat
In Minsk, a woman who collaborated with the Polish TV channel Belsat, which the Belarusian authorities recognized as extremist, was sentenced to two years in prison, writes the Viasna human rights center.
According to the case materials, Anastasia Matyash translated and edited texts, which were then used on Belsat. According to human rights activists, she was declared guilty of participating in an extremist group and was charged more than 100 thousand rubles of “criminal income” – that’s more than 30 thousand dollars.
The apartment of a Viasna employee was sold at auction
Photo copyrightSpring96.org
Photo caption: The authorities sold the apartment of a political prisoner sentenced to seven years in prison – this is not the first time this has happened
Another apartment of a Belarusian political prisoner was sold at auction. This time, the property of the lawyer of the human rights center “Viasna” Vladimir Labkovich in Minsk went under the hammer.
Last year, he was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of smuggling and “financing group activities that grossly violate public order.” Then several Viasna employees were sentenced to long terms. Labkovich did not admit guilt on any charges.
Earlier, after several attempts, the Belarusian authorities sold the apartment of ex-presidential candidate Valery Tsepkalo and his wife Veronika.
The Tsepkalo family considers this deal a flagrant violation of the law and the constitution.
Before this, the Minsk real estate of another ex-presidential candidate of Belarus, Sergei Tikhanovsky, went under the hammer.
Nothing has been known about Maria Kolesnikova for over a year
This week, the famous Belarusian oppositionist and head of staff of ex-presidential candidate Viktor Babariko, Maria Kolesnikova, turned 42 years old.
Kolesnikova was detained in 2020 and sentenced to 11 years in prison for a number of “protest articles,” including conspiracy to seize power.
For more than a year now, nothing has been known about Kolesnikova’s health; no messages have been received from her.
Previously, the human rights center “Viasna” wrote that Maria was kept in solitary confinement for a long time, she had health problems, “they even took her out by the arms.”
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