"They became more active after the information about the transferring of children by Lukashenko's regime appeared"
Pavel Latushka in an interview with the portal of the Polish Radio PolskieRadio24.pl. . spoke about the threats received against him
Unofficial translation from Polish
"Threats against me are a constant challenge since 2020. But especially hard signals of this kind sound after we have been engaged in presenting evidence of war crimes of Alexander Lukashenko and his associates related to the illegal transferring of Ukrainian children," Pavel Latushka, a Belarusian oppositionist and head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, said in an interview with the portal of the Polish Radio PolskieRadio24.pl.
"What is the goal? The goal is demotivation. It will not succeed. The reason may be that we have actually started dictating the agenda for the first time in a year and that we have hit a very painful point for the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. He understands that the truth is on our side, because there are facts of committing crimes qualified in accordance with international law. We have evidence of these war crimes. Of course, everything depends on the decision of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague," said Pavel Latushka in an interview with the Polish Radio.
Some cases of threats have been reported to the prosecutor’s office.
Nightly news about beheadings
The Polish Radio has learnt the content of some of the threats. In the evening, the head of the National Anti-Crisis Management received threats stating that due to his investigation of war crimes, he would "not live", children from Ukraine were not kidnapped, but "treated" (!). "Remember, you are [...]. Such [...] should not live. Our group is already in Warsaw. Wait for guests.”
In another case, the author threatened Pavel Latushka with beheading.
Sentencing and persecution of the family
Pavel Latushka was sentenced in absentia in Belarus to 18 years in prison for his opposition activities.
His family is also being persecuted. "A criminal case has been opened in Belarus against Yana, my daughter," Pavel Latushka told the Polish Radio. Yana Latushka has been active for the benefit of Belarus and is currently in Warsaw.
Pavel Latushka's cousin Anatol Latushka is in prison in Belarus, sentenced to 6 years.
Lukashenko's official television threatens reprisals. "He deserves to be buried alive"
Threats against Pavel Latushka, most often not veiled, also appear in the speeches of propagandists, in the materials of Russian and Belarusian news agencies. The threats are made by representatives of the authorities, including Lukashenko himself.
As the National Anti-Crisis Management reports on the basis of collected data, a large wave of propaganda attacks and threats of physical violence took place earlier, in May, as well as in the official Belarusan media, when the team of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM) and Pavel Latushka were preparing a report on the involvement of Alexander Lukashenko and his associates in the transferring of Ukrainian children to Russia and Belarus.
The evidence on this issue was submitted by the NAM to the prosecutor in the Hague with a view to issuing an arrest warrant for those responsible for these crimes, including Lukashenko. It should be added that in March this year, the prosecutor in the Hague issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for his involvement in the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
According to the NAM, Hryhoriy Azarenok (propagandist), in particular, is involved in the attacks on Pavel Latushka. On the air of STV channel, he stated that "this [...] creature deserves to be buried alive for the very fact of such an abomination [...] He should sew up his [...] and keep silent all his life [...] You have sunk to the bottom, you can't even be turned on a stake and roasted, because the smoke will poison those around you."
The channel Yellow Plums Premium in Telegram (controlled by Lukashenko's press secretary Natalia Eismont) wrote: "Your vile lies, insinuations won't even cast a shadow on the "regime" or Talai. It will only make the aspen stake in your [...] thicker."
Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus Aleh Haidukevich threatened that Pavel Latushka "will answer for everything."
Propagandist Andrei Mukavozchyk said that Pavel Latushka should be “first of all” deprived of Belarusian citizenship.
Lukashenko about Pavel Latushka
In June, publications by the Belarusian agency Belta and the Russian RIA Novosti appeared, in which Lukashenko said that Pavel Latushka would never be forgiven and announced that he would be held accountable.
At the same time, new threats appeared on social networks, according to Pavel Latushka, including a picture of his residence in Warsaw.
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Earlier, the Belsat TV channel, in particular, spoke about death threats against the Belarusian opposition activist Pavel Latushka, former Ambassador of Belarus to Poland and France, former Minister of Culture of Belarus, head of the National Anti-Crisis Management. Pavel Latushka was threatened to be taken out of Poland in a car boot and they even recorded a special video illustrating it. Since then Pavel Latushka has been constantly receiving new threats.
List of extremists
As it is known, on 14 July the Interior Ministry of Belarus included Pavel Latushka, Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya and Polish citizen Robert Tampala in the list of persons carrying out extremist activities.
The page of the Free Belarus Museum in Warsaw (a project of the National Anti-Crisis Management) on Instagram was recognised as "extremist material" – as well as the pages of Pavel Latushka and the NAM – which means, explained the oppositionist, that criminal cases are foreseen for following or observing them in Belarus.
Pavel Latushka also reminded that according to the legislation recently introduced by Lukashenko’s regime, activists, representatives of democratic forces may soon be deprived of Belarusian citizenship by the regime.
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Pavel Latushka was the Ambassador of Belarus to Poland and France, as well as the Minister of Culture and Director of the Yanka Kupala Theatre. He is the head of the National Anti-Crisis Management and the deputy of Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya in the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus.
In addition to the Polish Radio article, we also publish a statement about Pavel Latushka by Aleh Haidukevich, a member of the House of Representatives, in the MINSKNEWS.BY broadcast on 20 July 2023:
“He is running on his knees around the offices, asking for some criminal prosecution — just to harm the country! How to react? He must be punished. As party leader, I offered a reward two years ago to bring him here. I’m increasing the reward! To bring him here alive and put him in the pre-trial detention centre. I am sure that the next day he will crawl on his knees and say that he is not guilty of anything and has always been in favour of Lukashenko”.
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