near Minsk, the Belarusian news Agency BelTA, detained 32 militants of foreign private military company – namely the so-called PMC Wagner. Earlier the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko warned that the enemies of his country can use mercenaries in order to inflame the Maidan. In this regard, on the background of the news about the arrest of fighters in the Belarusian social networks rapidly began to gain popularity about the imminent version of state of emergency.
last Friday, July 24, Lukashenko visited the 5th separate special purpose brigade in Maryina Gorka where remembered, that the Secretary of state Mike Pompeo warned him: “All wars begin with street protests.” Lukashenka said that if their “couple” in the country is not enough, they can pull up from the side. In particular, he cited the example of professional soldiers from the PMC.
the Pro-governmental Belarusian experts immediately declared that it was proof of foreign meddling in the election Lukashenko. And social supporters of the leader of Belarus began to accuse alternative candidate for President Svetlana Tikhanovski in connection with militants. Supposedly they knew about the presence of PMCs in the country, so pre-export abroad of their children.
However, the camp of opponents of Lukashenko rose a much more impressive wave of ridicule and bullying by the President and his fans for detaining militants. Which is odd, because according to published on July 28, according to the poll, commissioned by the “Second state TV channel”, for the old Man is ready to vote 72.3 per cent of voters and his credibility rating is 78.1 per cent.
meanwhile, about militants familiar with the situation sources cite this version: Belarus was used as a staging point for missions abroad, and local authorities, of course, was aware of what was happening, but now decided to play the situation as a “trump card”. We will remind that the Belarusian media reported the alleged mercenaries detained in one of the resorts near Minsk, and they were dressed in military style, what stood out from the main mass of tourists – agree to a potential organizers of the Maidan behavior is more than strange. According to another version, the “action” actually was an ordinary stribley team that decided to practice on the Belarusian nature.
“Unlikely to be state of emergency. In the interests of Lukashenka to hold a presidential election and win, as he puts it, “elegant victory”. The population is already prepared for this. For example, publish the Pro-government polls in which Lukashenka has a very high level of confidence. – said the “MK” Belarusian political analyst Alyaksandr Klaskouski. – In Belarus in Generale often do things that are similar to the current detention of insurgents.
for Example, in 2017 during the “toadskin protests” Lukashenko announced the arrest of a couple of dozens of militants who were preparing a provocation. Then really grabbed people, fabricated a case of the White Legion, but then all quietly go home. Then, it was reported on the breakthrough of the jeep with weapons from Ukraine, the information is also not confirmed.
And in 2010 found a garage with weapons: machine guns, explosives and so on. It was reported that the weapons should have been used to storm the government building, but the case did not continue. Well, the funniest thing happened in 2006. Then we were told about the capture of militants who at the direction of American instructors to arrange explosions in the school and to poison the water supply with dead rats. The rat then entered the history of Belarusian history, but still nobody tried.”
According to Klaskouski, the entire previous experience of similar criminal cases tells him that there is something similar, but probably not yet due to lack of information. According to the analyst, the security forces could have been hostages of the situation: “First, a high-ranking boss insists on conspiracy and external threat… Well then it is necessary to look for evidence, or to create for them some testing.”
the Probability of imposition of emergency and postponement of elections appreciated the Deputy Chairman of the human rights center “Spring” Valentin Stefanovich: “August 3, Lukashenko addressed a message to the people and the National Assembly. This annual speech, but now it was combined with the election campaign. When you consider that we are actually talking about foreign fighters, it could be grounds for postponement of the elections. Then it must be a decree which will be submitted to an exhaustive list of grounds and restrictions. It is possible the President has the appropriate authority. Another thing is that all the past similar stories ended in nothing.
I’m inclined to think that it is rather a preventive measure to intimidate the population ahead of a possible protest after the election. Can also send the message that people took to the streets, there are allegedly preparing provocations and the like. To the same measures applies his trip to military units and threats to involve the army. It works on the fear in the society before election day. Now rallies Svetlana Tikhanovski leave a lot of people, a society politicized and electrified, people may take to the streets. In any case, we wait for the return of the government’s actions and they will be oppressive.”
