2023-10-02 10:21:23
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus has opened a number of criminal cases against the Council of the Belarusian People’s Republic, the agency reported.
It was noted there that despite the decision of the KGB to recognize the Council of the BNR as an extremist organization in July this year, its leaders and friends allegedly “did not stop their illegal activities” and “involve new participants in it.”
The General Prosecutor’s Office also stated that allegedly “the leadership of the Council coordinates destructive efforts with other extremist organizations, establishes connections with armed structures operating on the territory of Ukraine, which include citizens of Belarus.”
In mid-September, the authorities of Belarus recognized the awards of the BNR Council as “extremist”.
What did the Rada of the BNR answer
In response, the Council of the BNR stated that it is taking note of “the information about the illegal criminal prosecution initiated by the punitive bodies of the illegitimate regime headed by A. Lukashenka.”
“This fact will in no way affect the activity of the Council of the BNR, its interaction with the democratic forces of Belarus and its support for Belarusian volunteers who are fighting for the freedom and independence of Ukraine.
Moreover, the notoriously illegal and extremist ideology-based decisions and actions of the Lukashenka regime, including those of a pseudo-juridical nature, add to the list of crimes that can be grounds for criminal prosecution of the persons involved after the restoration of legality on the territory of Belarus.”
The statement states that the accusations against the Council of the Belarusian People’s Republic, including statements about the denial of the independence of the Belarusian state by the Council of the Belarusian People’s Republic, “are of a knowingly false and absurd nature, especially given that the Council of the Belarusian People’s Republic announced the state sovereignty of Belarus on March 25, 1918, from what the history of modern sovereign Belarus is counting on.”
Also, the Council of the BNR stated that it has repeatedly condemned the totalitarian regimes that committed crimes on the territory of Belarus, including the regimes of the German National Socialists and Communists, while Alexander Lukashenko spoke positively about what Hitler did in Germany and Stalin in the USSR , allowed himself anti-Semitic statements and statements about the inferiority of the Belarusian language, culture and statehood.
What is the Council of the BNR
The Council of the Belarusian People’s Republic, the Council of the BNR is the highest governing body of the Belarusian People’s Republic, which has been active in emigration since 1919 and is one of the key political organizations of the Belarusian diaspora. The Council of the BNR maintains formal and procedural continuity with the Council of the All-Belarusian Congress of 1917 and as of 2022 remains the oldest “government in exile” in the world. He heads the Council of the BNR Ivonka Survilawho lives in Canada.
The Council of the Belarusian People’s Republic is the oldest Belarusian political and state institution, the keeper of the traditions of the national movement, which has been active since the declaration of independence of the Belarusian People’s Republic on March 25, 1918.
After the Bolsheviks left Minsk in 1918, members of the Central Belarusian Military Council and the Executive Committee of the Council of the All-Belarusian Congress declared themselves to be the temporary authority on the territory of the country until the convocation of the Constituent Diet. On February 21, 1918, the Executive Committee of the Council formed the first government of the BNR — the People’s Secretariat headed by Joseph Voronka.
The government of the BNR made a lot of efforts to organize national institutions. A decree was adopted on the state status of the Belarusian language, Belarusian schools and gymnasiums, cultural and educational associations and theaters were opened, publishing houses were operating, Belarusian newspapers were published, work was underway to open a Belarusian University in Minsk, a passport of a citizen of the BNR appeared, including a diplomatic, legalized state one. the symbol is a white-red-white flag and the coat of arms “Pagonia”. Diplomatic missions of the BNR were opened in a number of European countries.
However, due to the difficult military and political situation, the Council of the BNR could not implement the idea of state sovereignty of the country. A number of historians believe that the period of the BNR was the first stage of the formation of the Belarusian nation.
Since then, the Council of the BNR has been working on emigration.
In 2020, the Council of the BNR supported the protest movement against the falsification of the presidential elections in Belarus, after Russia’s attack on Ukraine using Belarusian territory, it spoke out against Russian aggression.
The “Chase” medal, established last year by the Council of the BNR, was presented to the relatives of the activist who died in prison Vitold Ashurkaformer police prisoner, journalist Daria Chultsovarelatives and friends of journalists convicted for political reasons Denis Ivashynas well as dead protesters and activists Nikita Kryutsov and Roman Bandarenkaa Belarusian volunteer in Ukraine Eduard Lobov.
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