MINSK, 26 October (BelTA) – Extremist actions of protesters can be qualified as acts of terrorism, BelTA learned from Konstantin Bychek, Department Head of the Investigations Office of the State Security Committee (KGB) of Belarus, on 26 October.
The officer said: “We've seen more and more extremist manifestations from Belarusian protesters recently. For example, radical citizens tried to capture a police station in Minsk's Tsentralny District during an unauthorized rally on 25 October. After they were rebuffed by law enforcement personnel, the aggressively minded citizens went to bedroom communities of the city where they continued blatantly violating public order, threatening the security and tranquility of the people.”
A booby-trap mine was found under the staff of a white-red-white flag in Gomel on the night of 25 October. An attempt to remove the flag was supposed to trigger the device. Apart from that, two attempts were made to set retail stalls on fire using bottles with an incendiary compound.
In the morning on 26 October five attempts to sabotage the railway signal system in various sections of the railway system were registered. These actions could have resulted in software malfunctions and multiple human casualties, industrial catastrophes, and considerable loss of property.
The KGB officer said: “These actions were planned and taken by organized criminal groups, who are intent on destabilizing the society and the political situation in the country, on intimidating the population, and on violently changing the current constitutional system. Such actions, which involve the organization of explosions, arson, and other deeds that threaten people's lives and health or may result in other grave consequences in order to steer decision-making processes of government agencies or interfere with political activities or other public activities, are qualified as acts of terrorism.”
Konstantin Bychek added that the perpetrators will be prosecuted.
