2017: Five criminal cases opened over Belarusians’ participating in armed conflicts - FM
Five criminal cases were initiated against Belarusians for their participating in armed conflicts abroad, Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makey said at the international counterrorism conference on October, 9.
“Last year, five criminal cases were opened over the involvement in an armed conflict, military operations in a foreign country, recruitment or training persons for such involvement of a foreign country or such participation. Four persons were convicted, official warning were issued to 12 people,” TUT.BY quotes the Belarusian Foreign Minister.
In November 2017, Belsat journalists found out that one of those convicted for taking part in the hostilities in Donbas, had left Belarus again to fight against Ukraine.
The citizens of Belarus make for the third largest national group among the participants of the war in Donbas after Ukrainians and Russians. According to the most conservative estimates, the total number of Belarusian participants in the four-year conflict has reached 1,000 persons.
According to Interior Minister Ihar Shunevich, the 2016 law amendments that allow to come not only after people involved in mercenarism, but also after participants in armed conflicts abroad (art. 361-3 of the Criminal Code) will ‘increase the level of safety in Belarus’. President Alyaksandr Lukashenka repeatedly said that Belarus had no place for ‘militants’ who are participating in the conflict in Ukraine.
