Over 80 reps of Belarus uniformed services stripped of ranks at Lukashenka’s order
Most of them are officers of the Interior Ministry, but there are also former military personnel and KGB employees. Based on Lukashenka’s decree dated by May 4, the list includes 3 colonels, 18 lieutenant colonels, 11 majors, 22 captains, and others.
According to Alyaksandr Lukashenka, ‘during the exacerbation’ [i.e. post-protests – Belsat], some military and law enforcement officials took a number of actions to aggravate the socio-political situation yet more. The politician holds a grudge against them over their ‘participating in unauthorised gatherings’, ‘posting extremist materials on the Internet, calling for radical action’, ‘publishing personal data of officials, journalists’, some showed ‘disrespect for state symbols’ by throwing their uniforms away or ripping off shoulder marks.
Among others, Stanislau Lupanosau, whom pro-Lukashenka media called as ‘the mole in GUBAZiK’ (Main Department for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption) was added to the list; he is reported to have passed information to BYPOL, a campaign created by opposition-minded people who earlier belonged to Belarusian uniformed services. The man is currently staying in Ukraine.
Moreover, senior traffic police officer Syarhei Masłouski, who was arrested during one of the opposition marches and later beaten in the notorious detention centre n Akrestsin Street; former security officers Ihar Makar and Andrey Astapovich who contributed to the establishment of the BYPOL initiative; retired colonel Uladzimir Baradach (former commander of the special forces brigade in Maryina Horka); retired lieutenant colonels Syarhei Aniska (former counterintelligence officer) and Valery Kostka (former KGB employee); Ihar Loban, a reserve major of justice; Yauhen Yushkevich, an arrested investigator whom the regime suspects of the involvement in ‘an act of terrorism’; Mikalai Kazlou, Chairman of the United Civic Party and a reserve police lieutenant colonel, also got on the wrong side of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
