Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on "Belarusian Hajun" case: Lukashenko creating "exchange pool"
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has commented on reports by the Belarusian human rights center Viasna about a new wave of repression by the Lukashenko regime against Belarusian citizens in connection with the so-called "Belarusian Hajun case." The ministry called on the international community to increase pressure on Alexander Lukashenko, who has seized power in Belarus, and his accomplices.
This was stated in a commentary by the MFA on the new wave of repressions in Belarus under the so-called "Hajun case," as reported by Censor.NET.
"We regret to note that in neighboring Belarus, anything can become grounds for being labeled a ‘traitor,’ a ‘conscious one,’ or, as Alexander Lukashenko likes to say, a ‘degenerate’, even a single word spoken in Belarusian by accident.
We are convinced that such arbitrary detentions are intended to create an ‘exchange pool,’ through which Alexander Lukashenko expects to buy himself indulgences in exchange for innocent people he has thrown into prison," the statement reads.
The ministry emphasized that the repressions of the Belarusian regime constitute systematic and gross violations of human rights and fundamental international legal documents, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Helsinki Final Act. The mass arrests and imprisonments of Belarusian citizens under the so-called "Hajun case" are clear proof of this.
The MFA also urged the international community to increase pressure on Lukashenko and his associates.
"It must not be forgotten that since 2022, Belarus has become an accomplice in the crime of aggression against Ukraine, providing its territory, airspace, and resources for Russia’s war of conquest against our state. Belarus must be held accountable for its part in this crime and for all the ensuing atrocities against the Ukrainian people," the statement said.
The ministry expressed confidence that in the future, a democratic Belarus will go through the process of cleansing itself from the crimes of Lukashenko’s dictatorship, restore its independence and sovereignty after years of Russian domination, and return to the family of European nations to which it belongs historically, politically, and culturally.
Earlier, human rights activists reported that at least 88 people had been detained in Belarus in the case of the independent monitoring project Belarusian Hajun, which has been documenting the movements of Russian troops since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
