Belarusians protest in Georgia against agreement between special services of two countries
On Saturday, August 28, the Belarusians of Batumi came to the building of the State Security Service of Georgia to protest against the agreement between the Belarusian and Georgian special services. Georgian politicians also supported the Belarusians.
Hundreds of Belarusians were forced to flee from Lukashenka’s regime to Batumi, Tbilisi, and other Georgian cities. After the agreement, which came into force on August 13 between the Belarusian KGB and the Georgian SSB, Belarusian emigrants fear for their safety. Our countrymen will protest until the agreement is annulled.
The Belarusians are supported by Georgian opposition politicians, who say that cooperation with Lukashenka’s KGB is a disgrace for Georgia.
“Belarusians here are protesting because they have not heard the answer of the Georgian government regarding the safety of their stay here. We, together with Belarus, are protesting against the agreement between the KGB and the SGB,” said Geno Tebidze of the “Lelo” party.
The State Security Committee of Belarus and the State Security Service of Georgia signed a cooperation agreement five years ago. However it came into force on August 13 this year.
Under the agreement, the parties plan to share information in the field of state security and to cooperate effectively to detect crimes, in particular, crimes against the constitutional order. There have been no cases of extradition of Belarusian citizens by Georgia yet, but the case of journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, who was kidnapped from Georgia and taken to Azerbaijan, is well known. Officially Georgia did not hand him over to Azerbaijan, but in fact he was kidnapped, which caused a big scandal. Belarusians are afraid of a similar scenario.
“Belarusians did not flee or move to Georgia so that the Belarusian KGB could continue to monitor them here in Georgia, but now through the eyes and hands of the Georgian intelligence. People are outraged and demand the Georgian authorities cancel this agreement. Personally, I believe that the Georgian government is not yet fully aware of the consequences of cooperation under this agreement. The KGB can manipulate and blackmail the Georgian services, getting information about the Belarusians in Georgia in fabricated criminal cases,” says human rights activist Raman Kislyak in an interview with Belsat.
On August 28, another rally of the Belarusian diaspora was held in Batumi. Belarusians met and escorted flights to Minsk with national flags. The goal of the action was to draw attention to the massive and brutal human rights violations in Belarus, lawlessness and terror that the authorities have undertaken against their citizens. Such actions will take place every Saturday.
“If the Belarusians in Lithuania or Poland can go to the border crossing to the border with Belarus, we have no other option but to hold rallies at the airport. This is a reminder to those arriving or flying in, where the borderline between democracy and tyranny is,” said Raman Kislyak.
belsat.eu
