Over 80 former Belarusian defense, security, law enforcement officials stripped of rank

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed a decree to strip of rank over 80 former officers of various defense, security, and law enforcement agencies on 4 May, BelTA has learned.

In line with the legislation Belarusian defense, security, and law enforcement officers, including retired and reserve ones, can be stripped of military ranks (special ranks) by the head of state.

As the social and political situation in the country deteriorated, certain military personnel and officers of law enforcement and security agencies tried to destabilize the situation and inflate protest moods in the society. They organized and participated in unauthorized events, published extremist materials online, called for radical actions, published various data of civil servants, reporters, and personnel of defense, security, and law enforcement agencies, made speeches with accusations, insults, and threats directed at those civil servants, reporters, and personnel of defense, security, and law enforcement agencies. Such military personnel and officers of law enforcement and security agencies discredited honor standards befitting an officer of the army, law enforcement and security agencies. They threw away service identification documents and shoulder boards. They refused to do their jobs. Criminal cases have been opened and are being investigated against a number of them, including on charges of terrorism.

Such actions are not compatible with the status of a member of the military, an officer of Belarusian law enforcement and security agencies. Taking into account the nature and the severity of their illegal actions the heads of the relevant defense, security, and law enforcement agencies requested the head of state to strip the persons listed in the decree of their military ranks and special ranks.