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)
Mikalai Karpiankou
(2014-2020)
  • Andrei Ananenko (since 2022)

    • The Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the

    Republic of Belarus[a], 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.

    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

    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,

    terrorist organisation.[22][23]

    On 21 June 2021, GUBOPiK and its former commander

    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

    • Mikalai Karpiankou
      (2014-2020)
    • Andrei Ananenko (since 2022)

    References

    1. ^
      Belsat
      , 9 October 2020
    2. ^ a b c 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. LRT
      , 27 November 2020
    5. Radio Svaboda
      , 9 July 2021
    6. Radio Svaboda
      , 8 July 2021
    7. Radio Svaboda
      , 6 July 2021
    8. 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. 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. Gazeta.ru
      , 23 May 2021
    15. ^ Belarusian Activist Cuts His Throat At Hearing, Saying Authorities Threatened His Family, Friends - 1 June 2021
    16. Radio Svaboda
      , 2 June 2021
    17. 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. 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. Radio Svaboda
      , 20 November 2020
    23. ^ Tsikhanouskaya looks to recognize GUBOPiK and OMON as terrorist organizations - European Radio for Belarus, 23 November 2020
    24. 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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