KGB actively recruits citizens before European games


A resident of Minsk has turned to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus with a complaint about the illegal actions of a KGB officer who, according to him, used blackmail and threats to force him to engage in “voluntary assistance to the state security organs”, the HRC “Vyasna” reports.

On April 8, Aleh Dashkevich arrived at the military registration and enlistment office in Minsk for military registration after his military service in the reserve. In the office, two police officers in the uniforms of lieutenant colonels unexpectedly approached him and offered to go with them to the police department to “talk”. They promised to disclose the reason later.

During a conversation in the police car, Dashkevich was shown screenshots of photos from his VKontakte page with images of the third Reich flag, an eagle in the sky, supported by flags etc. and said that such images are classified as Nazi symbols. According to police, such materials are extremist and may be subject to administrative liability for their distribution.

Already in the precinct, Dashkevich was shown a warrant to inspect his apartment, threatened with the possible detention, and then told that there was a chance to avoid punishment.

A man entered the office, who introduced himself as a KGB officer and showed his ID, closing his last name with his finger. Aleh claims that the security officer began to show him the personal files of his relatives, saying that since his father often leaves for Lithuania to work, he can easily be banned from going abroad. Also, due to the fact that Dashkevich may pose a “threat to national security,” his mother and sister working in state institutions may have problems.

“The employee was interested in my previous trips to the territory of the Russian Federation and Ukraine. He asked questions about whether I’m recruiting people there to participate in illegal armed groups and whether I undergo special training myself,” Aleh Dashkevich told human rights activists.

After that, says Dashkevich, a representative of the KGB mentioned the European Games to be held in Minsk in June and said that at that time football fans could be activated in the country to organize riots. He offered Dashkevich to join the football fans’ movement in order to find out their immediate plans. Finally, he made him sign a document on voluntary cooperation with the State Security Committee. According to Dashkevich, he chose a pseudonym for “Smerch”.

A day later, Dashkevich filed a complaint with the General Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus where he asked to recognize the actions of an employee of the State Security Committee as unlawful.

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