Belarus: Lukashenko warns against 'catching, whacking, jailing' in light of events in Russia

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

MINSK, June 27. /TASS/: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, speaking in the wake of the latest events in Russia, has called for avoiding demands for not terminating the criminal case over calls for an armed mutiny.

"I’ve seen this tendency. Some started yelling and condemning [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and urging him not to stop criminal prosecution and to catch, whack and jail. This is what I would like to warn us and Russian society against. <...> Look, there some people worth whacking, especially you know where. And there are those worth putting in jail, where it is necessary," the BelTA news agency quotes Lukashenko as saying.

He stressed that his appeal was addressed to Belarusians and to Russia’s super-patriots.

"It always happens this way. Some super-patriots have appeared. I’ve seen this trend. <...> This is what I would like to caution both us and Russian society against," Lukashenko added.

On the evening of June 23, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the PMC Wagner, said on his Telegram channel that his units had been attacked, and accused the military leadership of Russia. The Defense Ministry dismissed these allegations as false. PMC Wagner units who agreed to support Prigozhin headed for Rostov-on-Don and towards Moscow. The Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a case over the call for armed mutiny. Russian President Vladimir Putin in a televised address described the PMC Wagner’s actions as treason.

Later, by agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin. The PMC Wagner’s convoys turned back and returned to the field camps.

On Tuesday, the FSB public relations center said that the criminal case had been dropped.