War Criminal in Charge of Military Parade in Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

The military parade, athletes and children with ties were all attributes of yesterday’s festivities, marking the official Independence Day. Opposition failed to spoil Alexander Lukashenko’s good mood. There were no pickets or protests held in central Minsk. There occurred only one scandalous incident – the person, placed in charge of the parade, is the same, which has long been wanted through “Interpol” by the neighboring Lithuania. That is general Vladimir Ushopchik.

Over 3thsd soldiers and officers marched past the tribunes at the Oktyabrskaya square in the downtown of Minsk. This time they decided not to show military machinery and avoid saber-rattling for some reason. So, all the tanks and armored personnel carriers were left in hangars. It is sufficient to have thousand of people take to the streets to join their leadership there, they probably thought.

Lately, Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that he would not give up the country’s independence to anyone. He had long dreamed to merge with Russia, but on different terms. Now he is trying hard to turn the ship to the European direction. However, Europe remains very critical about the situation development in Belarus: lack of reforms in economy and serious problems with the freedom of speech remain in the spotlight of European attention. Europe was also displeased with the fact that the wanted war criminal Ushopchik, blamed over mass slaughter in Lithuania during the bloody riot of January 1991, has been made responsible for the military parade.

Nonetheless, the European Parliament doesn’t intend to pass any new statements against the Belarusian leadership in that connection. Anyway, the appointment of general Vladimir Ushopchik as the commander of yesterday’s military parade, is yet another Belarus’ step further away from the democratic Europe.