“Hunt” in a manner of 1937

“Hunt” of veterans of the Afghan War, who refused to accept awards from Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has begun in “Sovetskaya Belorussiya” official newspaper.

The edition, a printed organ of Lukashenka’s administration, has published today an “angry” letter of colonel Illya Ryzhankou, head of the Council of International Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Belarus. The letter is written on the occasion of a solemn ceremony of awarding 10 families of killed international soldiers medals “20 Years of Pull-Out of Troops from Afghanistan” in Mahilou City Hall. A number of Belarusian afghan veterans refused to accept these awards. Colonel Rzyzhankou discharged his anger upon the latter.

“There are people, who do not need people’s memory and thanks. They need special benefits and privileges. A group of imposters, speaking “on behalf of veterans of the Afghan War”, began to spread appeals calling to refuse the awards. They say, we are offended, because there are fewer privileges in Belarus than in... other CIS countries. But in what countries? Maybe, in Ukraine, where Banderovites have more social weight than veterans of the Afghan War? Is it not immoral that young strong Autukhovich, Vouchak, and Kamarouski y envy90-year old veterans of the Great Patriotic War, who, by the way, have never descended to primitive blackmailing of the state, they defended. These shrewd guys-businessmen didn’t find anything better than demanding... a certificate of a participant of the Great Patriotic War, free dentoprosthetic rehabilitation, and complain to the whole world they had to eat salty fish and “rank butter”. Poor fellows...” colonel Ryzhankou writes to “Sovetskaya Belorussiya”.

The head of Council of International Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Belarus is indignant at the fact that the Afghan War veterans, who refused to accept the awards, wrote protest letters to the authorities.

“It would be a different matter if these egoists were just whining about dental crowns, but they are writing letter to the authorities, giving interviews, troubling water shamelessly. When I read their yelps in an opposition newspaper, I thought what pushy guys they are. There were different people in Afghanistan, they had the same uniform, but different souls. I turns out that there were people, pernickety about salty fish...”

Colonel Ryzhankou goes to direct accusations in his letter: Afghan War veterans are allegedly preparing for some “provocations”.

“They are mooching on policy: trying to play havoc among Afghan War veterans. We have learnt that they carry out agitation campaign calling to refuse to accept awards in veterans’ organizations in Krupki and Zhodzina towns. The above mentioned figures, gone mad about privileges, perceive the former soldiers to accept awards, and then throw them away in public. They also prepare provocations at a solemn ceremony with participation of wheelchair-veterans on the 20th anniversary of pull-out of the Soviet troops from the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. They are going to take video of this. For what purpose? Who are Autukhovich, Vouchak, and Kamarouski going to sell this shamelessly posed footage to? “

It should be reminded that Belarusian war veterans refused to accept state awards on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

Alyaksandr Kamarouski, head of the organizing committee on creation of the association of veterans of combat operations “Defenders of the Motherland”, Mikalai Autukhovich, arrested leader of entrepreneurs and political prisoner, and human rights activist Aleh Vouchak sent a letter to Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the prime minister of Belarus, saying they refuse to accept awards on the 20th anniversary of withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

According to the members of the association, in Belarus, veterans of the Afghan War and other local wars are in most unsatisfactory conditions in comparison with other CIS countries. Afghan War veterans do not have a status of a war participant, a certificate of participation in combat operations, any preferences. Besides, the leaders of the association don’t like that the Belarusian authorities interfere with activity of NGOs.

Four days ago, Mikalai Autukhovich was arrested together with other leaders of entrepreneurs Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka.