KGB recruits Belarusian diaspora in Latvia

Special services are actively collecting the information about the activities of the Belarusian diaspora in Latvia.

Special services of some countries actively use the diaspora living in Latvia. In this sense Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) especially stands out, the annual report of the Satversmes aizsardzības birojs (Bureau for the Protection of the Constitution) says.

As the bureau notes, the goal of the foreign special services that work with their compatriots is to prevent the uprising of oppositional sentiment towards the regime in their home countries.

In practice it looks like this: an intelligence office, working under the cover of the embassy, maintains regular contacts with all the active leaders of the diaspora, collects data on the events, where political discussions may take place, identifies the circle of the people, participating in potentially dangerous conversations, rus.delfi.lv reports.

In the recent years the BAS has registered a number of cases when the diaspora was involved in the events, organized by the intelligences of the two countries. The events were held in order to show the loyalty to the incumbent regime. For example, conferences were held with resolutions adopted, written by special service agents.

Simultaneously foreign intelligences work with media. Special service officials, working under the cover of the embassy, create a circle of journalists with whom they maintain constant cooperation. Experience exchange tours are organized for such journalists, they are provided with exclusive interviews and various publications. Intelligences do not directly control the work of journalists, however there are preferences only for the representatives of friendly media.