The Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the
MVD
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD; russian: Министерство внутренних дел (МВД), ''Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del'') is the interior ministry of Russia.
The MVD is responsible for law enfor ...
of the
Republic of Belarus
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
, abbreviated ГУБОПиК (GUBOPiK), be, Галоўнае ўпраўленне па барацьбе з арганізаванай злачыннасцю і карупцыяй МУС Рэспублікі Беларусь, Haloŭnaje ŭpraŭliennie pa baraćbie z arhanizavanaj zlačynnasciu i karupcyjaj MUS Respubliki Bielaruś, abbreviated ГУБАЗіК (HUBAZiK), is a state security service of
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
accused of numerous acts of political repression, violence and torture of political opponents of
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian language, Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian language, Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лука ...
's regime.
History
GUBOPiK was created as a unit of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
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".
[«Апошняя апора ўладаў». Як ГУБАЗіК пераўтварыўся ў адзін з галоўных органаў палітычнага пераследу]
The last support of the authorities". How GUBOPiK became one of the main bodies responsible for political persecution- Belsat
Belsat ( be, Белсат; pl, Biełsat; stylised as B☰LSAT) is a Polish free-to-air satellite television channel aimed at Belarus. The channel is a subsidiary of TVP S.A. From the outset, it has been co-funded by the Polish Ministry of For ...
, 9 October 2020 Historically, it was known for pressuring informal right-wing and left-wing groups and for cruel treatment of detained persons.
[
In 2020 and 2021, during the mass protests that followed a controversial ]presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
, GUBOPiK, including its commander Mikalai Karpiankou
Mikalai Mikalayevič Karpiankou ( be, Мікалай Мікалаевіч Карпянкоў, russian: Николай Николаевич Карпенков, Nikolay Nikolayevich Karpenkov, born on 6 September 1968 in Minsk) is a state security ...
personally, has been involved in harassment, persecution and torture of human rights activists[Human rights violations in Belarus require an international investigation]
- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The Assembly is made up o ...
, 1 April 2021 as well as protesters against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.[
In 2020 and 2021, GUBOPiK has been carrying out raids in the homes and offices of political activists, human rights activists, journalists.
On 7 September 2020, GUBOPiK has abducted the politician ]Maria Kalesnikava
Maria Kalesnikava (Marya Alyaksandrauna Kalesnikava, , ; Maria Aleksandrovna Kolesnikova, Russian: Мария Александровна Колесникова, ; born 24 April 1982) is a Belarusian professional flautist and political activist. ...
.[ On 9 September 2020, GUBOPiK has reportedly raided the office of presidential candidate ]Viktar Babaryka
Viktar Dzmitryevich Babaryka ( be, Віктар Дзмітрыевіч Бабарыка or Viktor Dmitryevich Babariko; born 9 November 1963) is a Belarusian banker, philanthropist, public and opposition political figure who intended to become a ...
.[ГУБОПиК]
UBOPiK- BYPol, an initiative of former state security officers in opposition to the Lukashenka regime
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. 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.
In May 2021, GUBOPiK officially confirmed to the public the arrest of blogger Raman Pratasevich
Roman Dmitriyevich Protasevich (russian: Роман Дмитриевич Протасевич; born 5 May 1995), or Raman Dzmitryyevich Pratasyevich ( be, Раман Дзмітрыевіч Пратасевіч, translit=Raman Dzmitryjevič Prat ...
after a forced landing of Ryanair Flight 4978
Ryanair Flight 4978 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Athens International Airport, Greece, to Vilnius Airport, Lithuania, operated by the Polish subsidiary Buzz. On 23 May 2021, while in Belarusian airspace, it was d ...
in Minsk following a fake bomb threat.
On 1 June 2021, political prisoner Stsiapan Latypau attempted suicide in courtroom after stating that he had been intimidated by GUBOPiK.
GUBOPiK has reportedly tortured and severely beaten the political prisoner Mikola Dziadok
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, death_place =
, death_cause =
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arrested in November 2020
In July 2021, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee
The Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC; ) is a non-governmental human rights organization established in 1995 and in 2007 was the sole remaining independent human rights group in Belarus, apart from Viasna Human Rights Centre. Its goal is protectio ...
, Viasna Human Rights Centre
The Viasna Human Rights Centre ( be, Праваабарончы цэнтр «Вясна», Pravaabarončy centr «Viasna») is a human rights organization based in Minsk, Belarus. The organization aims to provide financial and legal assistance to ...
, Belarusian Association of Journalists
The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) ( be, Беларуская асацыяцыя журналістаў, Biełaruskaja Asacyjacyja Žurnalistaǔ; russian: Белорусская ассоциация журналистов) is a Belar ...
and several other organisations called for an investigation into alleged torture of at least eight political prisoners by the GUBOPiK.
International sanctions
In November 2020, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
Sviatlana Heorhiyeuna Tsikhanouskaya (' Pilipchuk;, , ; russian: Светлана Георгиевна Тихановская, , Svetlana Georgiyevna Tikhanovskaya, , , born 11 September 1982) is a Belarusian educator and the leader of the Bel ...
, leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition and former presidential candidate, has proposed to the international community to officially designate GUBOPiK as a terrorist organisation
A number of national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and fo ...
.
On 21 June 2021, GUBOPiK and its former commander Mikalai Karpiankou
Mikalai Mikalayevič Karpiankou ( be, Мікалай Мікалаевіч Карпянкоў, russian: Николай Николаевич Карпенков, Nikolay Nikolayevich Karpenkov, born on 6 September 1968 in Minsk) is a state security ...
were added to Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List
The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, also known as the SDN List, is a United States government sanctions/embargo measure targeting U.S.-designated terrorists, officials and beneficiaries of certain authoritarian regimes, a ...
of the US Treasury
The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...
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.[Treasury and International Partners Condemn Ongoing Human Rights Abuses and Erosion of Democracy in Belarus]
- US Treasury
The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...
official website, 21 June 2021
On the same day, Karpiankou was also sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada. On 7 July 2021, Switzerland also joined sanctions against him.
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
The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, also known as the SDN List, is a United States government sanctions/embargo measure targeting U.S.-designated terrorists, officials and beneficiaries of certain authoritarian regimes, a ...
by the United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and t ...
as well as to the Canadian sanctions list. On that same date, Parshyn was also targeted by financial sanctions of the United Kingdom. In June 2022, Parshyn was blacklisted by the European Union and Switzerland.
Notes
{{notelist
Commanders
* Mikalai Karpiankou
Mikalai Mikalayevič Karpiankou ( be, Мікалай Мікалаевіч Карпянкоў, russian: Николай Николаевич Карпенков, Nikolay Nikolayevich Karpenkov, born on 6 September 1968 in Minsk) is a state security ...
(2014-2020)
* Andrei Ananenko (since 2022)
References
Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List
Law enforcement agencies of Belarus
Torture in Belarus
Belarusian entities subject to the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions
Secret police