GUBOPiK

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Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the MVD of the Republic of Belarus
Главное управление по борьбе с организованной преступностью и коррупцией МВД Республики Беларусь (ГУБОПиК)
Glavnoye upravleniye po borʹbe s organizovannoy prestupnostʹyu i korruptsiyey MVD Respubliki Belarusʹ (GUBOPiK)
Emblema GUBAZiKa.jpg
Emblem of the GUBOPiK
Special service overview
Formed30 December 2003
Preceding Special service
  • GUBOP
Jurisdiction Belarus
Headquarters Minsk, Belarus
Special service executives

The Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the MVD of the Republic of Belarus [lower-alpha 1] , is a state security service of Belarus. It has been accused of numerous acts of political repression, violence and torture of political opponents of Alexander Lukashenko's regime.

Contents

History

GUBOPiK was created as a unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1991 and reorganised in 2003.

GUBOPiK has been referred by the media as "one of the main bodies responsible for political persecution" in Belarus". [1] Historically, it was known for pressuring informal right-wing and left-wing groups and for cruel treatment of detained persons. [1]

In 2020 and 2021, during the mass protests that followed a controversial presidential election, GUBOPiK, including its commander Mikalai Karpiankou personally, has been involved in harassment, persecution and torture of human rights activists [1] [2] [3] as well as protesters against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. [4] [1]

In 2020 and 2021, GUBOPiK has been carrying out raids in the homes and offices of political activists, human rights activists, journalists. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

On 7 September 2020, GUBOPiK has abducted the politician Maria Kalesnikava. [2] On 9 September 2020, GUBOPiK has reportedly raided the office of presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka. [2]

In the second half of 2020, GUBOPiK officer Stanislav Luponosov sided with the opposition, passed on a large amount of inside information to the movement for free elections and left Belarus. [12] In 2021, a criminal case against Luponosov was opened in Belarus; in April 2023, the Minsk City Court sentenced him in absentia to 18 years in a penal colony and a fine. [13]

In May 2021, GUBOPiK officially confirmed to the public the arrest of blogger Raman Pratasevich after a forced landing of Ryanair Flight 4978 in Minsk following a fake bomb threat. [14]

On 1 June 2021, political prisoner Stsiapan Latypau attempted suicide in courtroom after stating that he had been intimidated by GUBOPiK. [15] [16]

GUBOPiK has reportedly tortured and severely beaten the political prisoner Mikola Dziadok arrested in November 2020 [17] [18] [19] [20]

In July 2021, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Viasna Human Rights Centre, Belarusian Association of Journalists and several other organisations called for an investigation into alleged torture of at least eight political prisoners by the GUBOPiK. [21]

International sanctions

In November 2020, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition and former presidential candidate, has proposed to the international community to officially designate GUBOPiK as a terrorist organisation. [22] [23]

On 21 June 2021, GUBOPiK and its former commander Mikalai Karpiankou were added to Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the US Treasury for its role in the crackdown of the protests of 2020-2021:

The Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the MVD of the Republic of Belarus (GUBOPiK) continues to play a leading role in the post-election crackdown, including deploying specialized "Attack" units created to perpetrate violence against protesters. For instance, GUBOPiK was involved in a raid on an opposition presidential candidate’s office and the abduction of opposition figure Mariya Kalesnikava. Pratasevich was also in GUBOPiK custody following his arrest. [24]

On the same day, Karpiankou was also sanctioned by the European Union, [25] the United Kingdom, [26] and Canada. [27] On 7 July 2021, Switzerland also joined sanctions against him. [28]

On 2 December 2021, Andrei Parshyn, head of GUBOPiK, and its other high-ranking officials were added to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List by the United States Department of the Treasury [29] as well as to the Canadian sanctions list. [30] On that same date, Parshyn was also targeted by financial sanctions of the United Kingdom. [31] In June 2022, Parshyn was blacklisted by the European Union [32] and Switzerland. [33]

Notes

  1. ↑ Russian: Главное управление по борьбе с организованной преступностью и коррупцией МВД Республики Беларусь, romanized: Glavnoye upravleniye po borʹbe s organizovannoy prestupnostʹyu i korruptsiyey MVD Respubliki Belarusʹ, abbreviated ГУБОПиК (GUBOPiK), Belarusian: Галоўнае ўпраўленне па барацьбе з арганізаванай злачыннасцю і карупцыяй МУС Рэспублікі Беларусь, romanized: Haloŭnaje ŭpraŭliennie pa baraćbie z arhanizavanaj zlačynnasciu i karupcyjaj MUS Respubliki Bielaruś, abbreviated ГУБАЗіК (HUBAZiK)

Commanders

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 «Апошняя апора ўладаў». Як ГУБАЗіК пераўтварыўся ў адзін з галоўных органаў палітычнага пераследу ["The last support of the authorities". How GUBOPiK became one of the main bodies responsible for political persecution] - Belsat, 9 October 2020
  2. 1 2 3 ГУБОПиК [GUBOPiK] - BYPol, an initiative of former state security officers in opposition to the Lukashenka regime
  3. ↑ Human rights violations in Belarus require an international investigation - Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, 1 April 2021
  4. ↑ Belarusian torture victim asks Lithuania to launch probe into regime violence - LRT, 27 November 2020
  5. ↑ Сілавікі правялі ператрус у праваабаронцы Салаўёва, калі яго не было дома [Security forces raid the home of human rights activist Salauyou while he is away] - Radio Svaboda, 9 July 2021
  6. ↑ Улады заблякавалі сайт «Нашай нівы», чатырох супрацоўнікаў рэдакцыі затрымалі [The authorities block the website of Nasha Niva, arrest for editorial workers] - Radio Svaboda, 8 July 2021
  7. ↑ Праваабаронцы патрабуюць расьсьледаваць катаваньні Дзядка, Латыпава, Анішчука і іншых вязьняў [Human rights organisations demand an investogation into the torturing of Dziadok, Latypau, Anishchuk and other prisoners] - Radio Svaboda, 6 July 2021
  8. ↑ Беларускі праваабаронца заявіў, што яго катавалі супрацоўнікі ГУБАЗіКа [Belarusian human rights activists says he was tortured by the GUBOPiK] - Radio Svaboda, 5 July 2021
  9. ↑ Сыходзіла лясамі і балотамі — Валярына Кустава аб тым, як з'язджала з Беларусі [I escaped via woods and swamps - Valiaryna Kustava about her leaving Belarus] - European Radio for Belarus, 16 June 2021
  10. ↑ Масавыя ператрусы і затрыманні ў Беларусі: па каго прыйшлі 14 ліпеня - European Radio for Belarus, 15 July 2021
  11. ↑ ГУБАЗіК затрымаў 50-гадовую гарадзенку за ўдзел у пратэставай акцыі ў верасні 2020 года [GUBOPiK arrests 50-years-old woma for participating in protests in September 2020] - Belsat, 23 June 2021
  12. ↑ Артём Гарбацевич (2021-03-25). "Офицер ГУБОПиКа, который передавал информацию демсилам, дал первое интервью: Пусть думают, что я один такой, пусть успокаивают себя". Nasha Niva (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  13. ↑ "Станислава Лупоносова заочно приговорили к 18 годам колонии". reform.by  [ be ] (in Russian). 2023-06-16.
  14. ↑ В Минске подтвердили задержание основателя белорусского оппозиционного Telegram-канала NEXTA [Belarusian authorities confirm arrest of the founder of the Telegram channel NEXTA] - Gazeta.ru, 23 May 2021
  15. ↑ Belarusian Activist Cuts His Throat At Hearing, Saying Authorities Threatened His Family, Friends - 1 June 2021
  16. ↑ What Is The Belarusian 'Pressure Chamber' Threat That Drove This Activist To Attempt Suicide? - Radio Svaboda, 2 June 2021
  17. ↑ Белорусский политзаключенный Дедок рассказал, как его били после задержания [Belarusian political prisoner Dziadok told of his beatings after detention] - Delfi.lt, 1 July 2021
  18. ↑ «Сейчас поедем в гестапо, там ты будешь плакать и ненавидеть себя»: белорусский анархист Дедок рассказал на суде о пытках при задержании ["We'll now go to the Gestapo where you will cry and hate yourself": Belarusian anarchist Dziadok tells about his trial and torture at arrest] - Novaya Gazeta, 1 July 2021
  19. ↑ MIKALAI DZIADOK, blogger, anarchist - Viasna Human Rights Centre official website
  20. ↑ «Білі, засоўвалі ў рот бутэлькі, распылялі газ». Мікола Дзядок распавёў на судзе, як яго затрымлівалі ["They beat me, force bottles into my mouth, sprayed gas". Mikola Dziadok tells in court of his arrest] - Belsat, 1 July 2021
  21. ↑ ТРЕБУЕМ ПРОВЕСТИ РАССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ПО ФАКТАМ ПЫТОК И ЖЕСТОКОГО ОБРАЩЕНИЯ В ОТНОШЕНИИ НИКОЛАЯ ДЕДКА И ДРУГИХ ЗАДЕРЖАННЫХ [We demand an investigation of facts of torture and cruel treatment of Mikola Dziadok and other detainees] - Belarusian Helsinki Committee official website
  22. ↑ Сьвятлана Ціханоўская запускае працэс прызнаньня ГУБАЗіК і АМАП тэрарыстычнымі арганізацыямі [Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya launches the process to designade GUBOPiK and OMON as terrorist organisations] - Radio Svaboda, 20 November 2020
  23. ↑ Tsikhanouskaya looks to recognize GUBOPiK and OMON as terrorist organizations - European Radio for Belarus, 23 November 2020
  24. ↑ Treasury and International Partners Condemn Ongoing Human Rights Abuses and Erosion of Democracy in Belarus - US Treasury official website, 21 June 2021
  25. ↑ COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/997 — EUR-Lex, 21 June 2021
  26. ↑ "CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK" (PDF). Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury. 2021-06-25.
  27. ↑ "Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List". Global Affairs Canada. 2015-10-19. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  28. ↑ Searching for subjects of sanctions
  29. ↑ "Treasury Expands Sanctions Against Belarusian Regime with Partners and Allies". United States Department of the Treasury. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  30. ↑ "Backgrounder: Belarus sanctions". Global Affairs Canada . Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  31. ↑ "Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK" (PDF). Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  32. ↑ "Official Journal L 153/2022". EUR-Lex . Retrieved 2023-01-08.
  33. ↑ "Searching for subjects of sanctions". Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft .
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