In Belarus, criminal cases were opened over the riots the day after the presidential elections. This was reported by “RIA Novosti” with reference to the head of the Investigative Committee of Belarus Ivan Noskevich.
“The Investigative Committee has opened criminal cases on the facts of riots and violence against employees of the internal affairs bodies. They took place in the city of Minsk and a number of other regions of the country tonight, ”he said.
According to Noskevich, the illegal actions were accompanied by violence against police officers, dozens of whom were injured.
Participants and organizers of the protests face 8 to 15 years in prison, including for violence against police officers, under various parts of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (“Riots”).
Noskevich added that the offenses were accompanied by the destruction of property, resistance to representatives of the authorities; during inspections by law enforcement officers, the use of trash containers, benches, sticks, cobblestones, fragments of paving slabs, glass bottles, and flammable liquids was recorded.
Currently, more than 100 investigators are working on the scene, the head of the UK said.
Many of the suspects and those already detained are in a state of alcoholic intoxication, the UK noted. Video surveillance recordings were seized. The persons involved in the riots have been identified and continue to be identified. The actions of all of them will be given an appropriate legal assessment.
Noskevich emphasized that those interested in riots use the crowd as a kind of tool to achieve their goals, taking into account the psychology of people and directing their spontaneous behavior in the direction they need. He asked citizens not to succumb to provocations and calls to disrupt public order. “Law enforcement agencies will take all possible measures to protect the constitutional order,” he concluded.
Currently, the websites of the Investigative Committee of the Republic, the Belarusian CEC, as well as the BelTA agency are not available.
On the eve, presidential elections were held in Belarus. After that, protests by opposition supporters began in a number of cities. More than 120 people were detained on the day of the presidential election. The protesters expressed their disagreement with the results of the electoral process. In response to the unauthorized rallies, Belarusian law enforcement officers used tear gas and flash bangs against the protesters in Minsk. In addition, it became known about the collision of a van on demonstrators.
The CEC of Belarus will announce the results of the election campaign on August 10 at 9:00 (the same time as Moscow time).