In 2020, five former security officials asked their colleagues not to be unnecessarily violent. They are now facing huge prison terms.
The names of former security officers from Zhodzina Dzmitry Udovin, Andrey Daroshka, Vyachaslau Ilyich, Ihar Kislyak and Vital Upretsky appeared on the court schedule.
On August 12, 2020, they recorded an appeal to the security forces. The officers appealed to former colleagues and urged them to make the right choice, “come to their senses and reflect.” “By following the orders given by your superiors, you may find yourself complicit in crimes. You can’t beat up people who are just returning home from a night shift or from work,” the appeal noted, among other things.
The trial of the five former security officers will begin on January 13 in the Minsk Regional Court. They are being tried under two articles: “harming the national security of Belarus” and “inciting hostility.” They face from 5 to 12 years in prison.
