In today's world, Presidential Security Service (Belarus) has become a topic of general interest that crosses different areas of society. From its impact on the economy to its influence on popular culture, Presidential Security Service (Belarus) has captured the attention of experts and fans alike. In this article, we will explore the many facets of Presidential Security Service (Belarus), analyzing its historical importance, its contemporary implications and its future projection. Through different perspectives and sources of information, we aim to shed light on this topic and provide the reader with a broad and versatile vision to understand its relevance today.
Belarusian law enforcement agency
Presidential Security Service of Belarus Служба бяспекі прэзідэнта Рэспублікі Беларусь(Belarusian)
The BelarusianPresidential Guard or officially the Presidential Security Service (Belarusian: Служба бяспекі прэзідэнта Рэспублікі Беларусь, romanized: Sluzhba byaspyeki prezidenta, Russian: Служба безопасности Президента Республики Беларусь) is a law-enforcement body that was designed to protect the President of Belarus and other high-ranking officials and officers.
According to the Belarusian opposition, the Presidential Security Service has played a key role in the events around the controversial referendum of 1996, which has resulted in the dissolution of the disloyal Supreme Soviet of Belarus and an ultimate concentration of state power in the hands of authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko.
Before the controversial referendum, the Presidential Security Service has blocked the office of the Central Election Commission of Belarus and prevented the Head of the commission, Viktar Hanchar from executing his role.Lidia Yermoshina, a member of the Commission loyal to Lukashenko, has been appointed instead of Hanchar. Three years later, Viktar Hanchar has disappeared and was presumably murdered.
After the events, the United StatesState Department stated that the Presidential Guard is a secret police force under the control of PresidentAlexander Lukashenko. The State Department in 1996 stated the guard was allowed to use force "against the President's political enemies with no judicial or legislative oversight."
Sanctions against officers of the Presidential Guard
Several former Heads of the Presidential Security Service have been included in the sanctions lists of the European Union and the United States:
Vladimir Naumov as former Minister of Interior has allegedly failed to investigate the unresolved disappearances of opposition leaders Yuri Zakharenko and Viktar Hanchar, opposition sponsor Anatoly Krasovski, and journalist Dmitri Zavadski in 1999–2000. He has been included in the sanctions list of the European Union in 2011 and is one of four persons remaining under EU sanctions after 2016. He is also on the sanctions list of the United States. Besides that, as one of the persons accused of involvement in the disappearances of 1999–2000, Naumov remains one of the few people on the sanctions list of the United States.
Yuri Zhadobin has been described in the EU Council's 2012 decision on sanctions as follows: "As a member of the Security Council, he approves the repressive decisions agreed at ministerial level, including the decision to repress the peaceful demonstrations on 19 December 2010. After December 2010, he praised the "total defeat of destructive forces", when referring to the democratic opposition." He has been included in the sanctions list of the European Union in 2011.