Known for the scale of its marches and devotion to the Kremlin, the Immortal Regiment has lost a case in court against the Chief Justice Department of the Minsk City Executive Committee. It complained of problems with registering the organization of the same name in Belarus. The lack of official status prevents members of the international association from expanding their sphere of influence.
In the 70th year of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the regiment became a popular part of the parade, which brought together 12 million people.
But President Lukashenka has already questioned the need for adopting someone else’s movement:
“Why do we have to abandon our “Belarus Remembers” movement and jump at the “Immortal Regiment” when in essence and even in appearance they are similar, they are the same … Why should we give this big day to someone?”
Earlier, activists complained to the Presidential Administration about the Chief Justice Department of the Minsk City Executive Committee, which had twice refused to register the association “Immortal Regiment”. Yesterday, the same complaint was considered by the court. The plaintiff foresaw the decision passed:
“We have to go through court. But it will refuse us. You heard what the president said about the “Immortal Regiment” at a meeting with journalists,” said Valery Drako, the Immortal Regiment board chairman.
The Immortal Regiment is a procession that last year took place in 90 countries of the world. It is the collection of information and portraits of ancestors who were at the front or worked in the rear during the war, it is search work, but also a thirst to engage in patriotic education and promote internationalist ideology.
Last year, the Minsk City Executive Committee at first did not allow to hold a procession of the “Immortal Regiment” on Victory Day. At the last moment, they changed their mind, and the rally gathered about 5 thousand people. They refused to hold a picket in honor of the Unity Day of Belarus and Russia again on Saturday. That day Belarusians celebrated the Freedom Day.
The Kremlin’s “regiment” would not accept rejection. Leonid Shkolnikov representing “For the Union and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union” said:
“We will go to the end, because we do not want the Republic of Belarus to repeat what happened in the Baltic States. We do not want to repeat what happened in Ukraine. We are for the sovereign Republic of Belarus in alliance with the fraternal peoples on the territory of the Soviet Union.”
Moscow is carefully expanding its geography of influence, taking advantage of the new possibilities of the information society and through delegation, Radio Liberty observer Vitaly Tsyhankou says:
“The Russian Embassy helps various expert centers, various websites and political scientists that exist in Belarus via the “Rossotrudnichestvo” Federal Agency.
Minsk has to take up a defensive position and react only in cases where the media or the organizations go too far.
Yulia Tselpuk, belsat.eu
