MINSK, 27 September (BelTA) – At the meeting with students of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke about approaches to accepting Belarusians who had fled the country, BelTA has learned.
“I have a piece of advice for you that is based on my experience – stay in your country. We see these fugitives. They call my press secretary and plead: “Tell the president!” They write me letters: “We made a mistake, we want [to return]. I say: “Okay, we have a commission led by the prosecutor general. Apply to the commission, make your point. They all posed with white-red-white flags and so on. We have this. We have a whole archive. When they apply, we check what they did. They think that we do not know what they did,” the president said.
According to the head of state, everyone should explain the rationale behind their actions, because it can be anything. “It happens, as we say, that people just go bonkers, make mistakes. We are interested in them returning home. This is very important for me personally. But if they are guilty, they must be held to account in line with the law. Apply to the commission,” he said.
The head of state remarked that many people, especially young people, did not get a grasp on the situation and just jumped on the bandwagon. “It's one thing to be in the crowd, and another thing to commit a criminal offense. We are sorting this out as we are trying to bring them back. Yet, those who have done really bad things will not return,” the head of state said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the money the West gives Belarusian exiles and the opposition is spent by the top brass and does not reach the rest: “The money is channeled through them, and they spend it. And these, I call them poor fellows running to the West, have no money.” As a result, these people who fled to Poland, for example, have to settle for lowest-paying jobs, like washing dishes.
“That's why I say: don't get carried away and never rush. Be patient. Give yourself time. That's exactly what you have to do. Never rush anywhere. Never. Yes, you have to move fast, but don't hurry. Tread cautiously. Think twice, double check, get together and share your thoughts with each other. Get anchored to your land,” the president added.
Follow us on:
