Aleh Haidukevich is a former head of the Frunzenski District Department of Internal Affairs, an MP, leader of the Belarusian Liberal Democrats and an authorised representative of Aliaksandr Lukashenka in the 2020 election.
On the night of 11 to 12 July 2021, the house of MP Aleh Haidukevich in the village of Siomkava, Minsk region, was attacked with Molotov cocktails. During the day, the KGB opened a case under Part 1 of Article 289 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, “Act of terrorism”. Pro-government media began spreading information about personal attacks on representatives of the authorities.
On 13 August 2021, the KGB carried out a special operation to detain a group of people. On the work done and the detention of about 20 people the security forces reported on 15 September 2021. Propaganda films told the story of the detained Vaitsiakhovich family from Barysau and said that they had been under ORM (operational search activities). The security forces reported that as early as 10 June 2021, Vladislav Vaitsiakhovich had come to a local military unit intending to set it on fire with Molotov cocktails, but did not do so and destroyed them. In addition, the video shows excerpts from audio recordings, screenshots of messages and surveillance footage of the Vaitsiakhovich family. In the published excerpt of the interrogation, Vladislav says that they “wanted to damage Aleh Haidukevich's property”. The security forces reported that they let all the actions happen only because they wanted to get to everyone who shares similar ideas of resistance. Notably, they did not inform the alleged targets of the attack of their plans in order to protect them. This situation reminds us once again that the main task of Belarus's security agencies is not to protect law and order and people's lives, but to persecute and crush all forces and movements opposed to the dictator. Especially those ready to resist the violence of the Lukashenka regime through direct action.
operational search activities by the security forces, screenshot from the video
The case was taken over by Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Pavel Nikolaevich Kudreiko , born in 1984, an investigator for particularly important cases at the KGB Investigation Department, serving in military unit 10091.
Besides the Vaitsiakhovich family, on 13 August 2021, with the sanction of prosecutor A.I. Shved, the following were remanded in custody in the KGB pre-trial detention centre: V.V. Vaitsiakhovich, A.A. Vaitsiakhovich, V.M. Vaitsiakhovich, S.Yu. Lisouski, D.S. Neverkevich, O.O. Padko, A.E. Padko, A.I. Yarmak, E.V. Pestrak, D.Yu. Morgol, P.V. Chikhinsky, A.K. Gursky, A.F. Buyakevich. O.P. Vaitsiakhovich and O.V. Pietukh were placed in a temporary detention facility.
the investigator in the "terrorism" case
Who are these people? Let's take a closer look. Let's start with the already well-known Vaitsiakhovich family from Barysau.
Vladislav Vaitsiakhovich is a former serviceman of military unit 5448 of the Interior Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where he served as a platoon commander. For context, this unit trains people who "maintain law and order", escort convicts and guard prisoners in penal colonies. After the 2020 election, Vladislav resigned, explaining that he found it hard to be in that environment and said he could not cope morally. He lived in Minsk with his wife Anastasiya Vaitsiakhovich, who worked as a pet shop assistant.
By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, Vladislav had been charged under the following articles: Part 3 of Art. 289, Parts 1 and 2 of Art. 295-3, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 1 of Art. 359, Part 3 of Art. 361-1, Art. 364 of the Criminal Code. Anastasiya was charged under: Part 3 of Art. 289, Parts 1 and 3 of Art. 289, Part 1 of Art. 295-3, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 1 of Art. 359, Part 3 of Art. 361-1, Art. 364 of the Criminal Code.
photo from military unit No. 5448, where Vladislav Vaitsiakhovich served
Volha and Vitali Vaitsiakhovich lived in Barysau. 49-year-old Volha did nail extensions, and 57-year-old Vitali worked in the production of wooden windows. They have three children: their adult daughter and son (Vladislav) already have families of their own and live separately; their youngest son, who lived with them, is 9 years old.
By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, Vitali had been charged under the following articles: Part 3 of Art. 289, Part 2 of Art. 295-3, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 1 of Art. 359, Part 3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code. Volha was charged under: Part 3 of Art. 289, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code.
In his letters, my father writes that he is shocked by my mother's arrest. He says he regrets ending up there and asks forgiveness for everything. My brother doesn't write anything like that, he just says he's waiting for our letters. My mother writes the same as my father: forgive us, we didn't think we would end up here. That sort of thing», — says Kristina, the Vaitsiakhoviches' daughter.
The whole family has been put on the KGB's “list of terrorists”. They are not allowed to receive money transfers, and all their accounts outside have been frozen.
A former Interior Ministry officer, dismissed in 2012 for breaching the terms of his contract, 35-year-old Artyom Igorevich Yarmak. He was accused of advising the Vaitsiakhoviches on arson. However, on 30 November 2021 he was released on an undertaking to appear and left the country.
Another detainee is 39-year-old Eduard Viktorovich Pestrak, an officer of the OMON riot police of the Minsk City Department of Internal Affairs. He has been in the service since 2006. Like many officers, his actions were monitored. It is known, for example, that at the base of military unit 3214 Eduard took part in special forces training and exercises in dispersing mass events using special equipment.
Part of Pestrak's conversation in 2021:
By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, Eduard Pestrak had been charged only under Part 3 of Article 425, "Inaction of an official", of the Criminal Code.
defendants from the security agencies
44-year-old Pavel Viktorovich Chikhinsky is a resident of Baranavichy. It is known that after graduating from the Belarusian State University, he went on to work at the Frunzenski District Prosecutor's Office. In 2020, Pavel worked as a senior investigator in the Minsk City Investigation Department. By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, he had been charged under Part 1 of Art. 357 and Part 3 of Art. 424 of the Criminal Code.
On 20 August 2021, 46-year-old Siarhei Anatolievich Sakalou was detained and placed in the KGB pre-trial detention centre. He is a resident of Lida and a military pensioner. In a published excerpt of a KGB video the man confesses that he received a message from someone on Telegram asking him to meet in Kyiv and to “take part in the resistance”. The security forces said that Siarhei had conducted surveillance of targets and had been involved in moving “weapons” across the border. By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, he had been charged under Part 3 of Art. 289, Art. 295, Art. 333-1, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code.
Also detained in the same case was 46-year-old Siarhei Lisouski, a customer service employee at Europcar. According to available information, he met with Interior Ministry officers and persuaded them to refuse to carry out criminal orders, and helped relocate those who resigned from the service and feared persecution. By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, he had been charged under the following articles: Part 3 of Art. 289, Part 3 of Art. 289, Part 1 of Art. 342, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 1 of Art. 359, Part 3 of Art. 361-1, Art. 364 of the Criminal Code. Lisouski has been put on the "list of terrorists".
The defendants also include 40-year-old Dmitry Neverkevich, director of Europcar, Uber's partner company in Minsk. Dmitry is still in custody. It is known that in November 2020 he was detained under Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences for taking part in protests. In September 2021, his charge was requalified under Article 357 of the Criminal Code. By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, he had been charged under the following articles: Art. 243, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code.
defendants in the "terrorism" case
Previously, the case also included 41-year-old Dmitry Yurievich Morgol, a former sole trader and employee of a Peugeot car dealership in Minsk. Little is known about his further fate. At some point he disappeared from the list of the accused; his whereabouts are unknown, and Dmitry has not appeared on social media for a long time. Of note: KGB officers had been wiretapping him before his arrest.
Initially, a married couple from Minsk, 40-year-old Volha and 45-year-old Aliaksandr Padko, were also among those detained. The couple are known to be raising two children. Four months later, on 13 December 2021, they were released from the KGB pre-trial detention centre on a written undertaking not to leave. Volha Padko was later convicted under Part 1 of Article 342 for taking part in protests and sentenced to 3 years of "home chemistry" (restricted freedom at home).
Also among the defendants were 53-year-old Andrey Fedorovich Buyakevich and relatives A.K. Gursky and V.K. Gursky (detained on 27 August 2021 and placed in the KGB pre-trial detention centre).
On 13 August 2021, 29-year-old Olga Viktorovna Pietukh, a native of Homel region and an employee of the “Europe” hotel in Minsk, was detained. Olga's former cellmates said that she tries not to get close to anyone, as people were often placed in her cell to try to extract information that Olga does not have. She denies her guilt. Nevertheless, she was charged under: Part 2 of Art. 289, Part 2 of Art. 295-3, Part 1 of Art. 357, Part 1 of Art. 359, Art. 364 of the Criminal Code. Olga Pietukh has also been put on the KGB's “list of terrorists”.
defendants in the "terrorism" case
On 6 December 2021, a message appeared on the “Belarusian Interior Ministry” Telegram channel stating that, with the support of the «Almaz» special counter-terrorism unit and the SOBR rapid response unit of the Interior Troops, a group of people had been detained who threw Molotov cocktails at a police building on 16 August 2021 (three days after the detention of the group in the case of the arson of Haidukevich's house). The Investigative Committee opened a case under Part 2 of Article 289 of the Criminal Code. It is known that only two of those detained in the case remained in custody. Moreover, these defendants are not connected to the case of the arson of Haidukevich's house (note, added 24.01.23).
It is known that 39-year-old Minsk resident Denis Vasilievich Filonchik became a defendant in this case. He worked as a loader and has two children. He has been held in the KGB pre-trial detention centre since his arrest. By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, he had been charged under Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code.
Another well-known defendant is 45-year-old Vladimir Nikolaevich Savenkov, a deputy of the 27th convocation for Pushkinski electoral district No. 9 (agro-town of Kalodzishchy). Vladimir was previously an OMON commander (note, added 24.01.23).
Thus, during 2022, D.Yu. Morgol, A.K. Gursky and V.K. Gursky, A.F. Buyakevich, A.I. Yarmak, O.O. Padko and A.E. Padko were “released” from the original charges.
On 13 January 2023, the KGB reported that the criminal case had been referred to the Prosecutor General's Office. According to the statement, there are 18 defendants. Among them: Vladislav, Vitali, Anastasiya and Volha Vaitsiakhovich, Siarhei Lisouski, Dmitry Neverkevich, Eduard Pestrak, Olga Pietukh, Vladimir Savenkov, Siarhei Sakalou, Pavel Chikhinsky and Denis Filonchik.
In addition to the 12 people listed above, 6 more people were included in the list of the accused, three of whom (according to the KGB) were arrested in absentia:
Peter Yurkevich, charged under Art. 342, Part 2 of Art. 357 and Part 3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code.
41-year-old Nikolai Sergeevich Roy, charged under Part 2 of Art. 295-3, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code.
Alexey Mikhailov, charged under Part 2 of Art. 406 of the Criminal Code for failure to report a crime. According to available information, he is in custody (note, added 24.01.23).
Regarding the following defendants, the KGB states: “these persons have absconded from the investigation and been put on the international wanted list; their criminal prosecution is being conducted under special proceedings”.
Vadim Prokopiev is a businessman. Founder and deputy commander of the Belarusian «Pahonia» regiment. By the time the case was referred to the Prosecutor General's Office, he was accused under: Part 3 of Art. 289, Part 4 of Art. 295, Part 2 of Art. 295-3, Part 3 of Art. 333-1, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 1 of Art. 359, Part 1 of Art. 361-1, Art. 364, Part 3 of Art. 424 of the Criminal Code.
Denis Khamitsevich, charged under Part 3 of Art. 289, Part 2 of Art. 295-3, Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code. Until 2008, he was an officer of the 8th Directorate of the Security Department responsible for guarding diplomatic missions and consular offices of foreign states, as well as special facilities of top national importance (note, added 24.01.23).
Igor Chemyakin is a former officer of the Interior Ministry's “Almaz” special unit and a former MMA fighter. The “Belarusian People's Tribunal” website has a page on him as a participant in the brutal suppression of protests. According to journalists, Chemyakin resigned after being ordered to detain Maria Kalesnikava in autumn 2020. Journalists also report that Chemyakin may be taking part in the defence of Ukraine. He is charged under Part 3 of Art. 289, Part 2 of Art. 295, Part 2 of Art. 295-3, and Part 2 of Art. 357, Part 1 of Art. 359, Part 3 of Art. 361-1, Art. 364 of the Criminal Code. Chemyakin is abroad (note, added 24.01.23).
Most likely, all the participants had at least one mutual acquaintance or belonged to the same Telegram chat, which led to the mass arrests. It is also possible that all the actions of the detainees were a carefully prepared operation by the Belarusian special services to enable subsequent mass arrests, intimidate the country's population and discredit the movement of resistance to the Lukashenka regime.
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