Lukashenka Dismissed KGB Chairman :: Charter'97 :: News

On November 18 Alyaksandr Lukashenka dismissed leaned Yeryn (Erin) from the position of chairman of the KGB (State Security Committee), the BelTA was informed by the head of state’s press service. Lieutenant General Yeryn was reverted to the control of the KGB.

As we have informed, Leanid Yeryn unexpectedly went on leave right after the referendum. President ordered him to go on leave by his special decree on November 20. A day before, right after the referendum, in the center of Minsk a rally was held. A mass of people demanded to cancel the results of the referendum, and to reveal the truth about the politicians disappeared during Lukashenka’s rule. When the demonstration stopped in front of the doors of the KGB, Leanid Yeryn unexpectedly went out of the building. He let three journalists and one oppositionist go into his office. It is not clear if he promised to say something compromising the president, or has told that. Only seconds were published out of the 40-minutes’ conversation. However, the gist of the talk is interpreted in two ways by many people, in particular, the phrase of Yeryn that the time would come and the truth would be found out by everyone. According to the information of the oppositional newspaper “Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta”, the KGB has finished the investigation of the disappeared politicians’ case and submitted it to the office of public prosecutor, however a copy is left in the KGB, and work on it continues. Besides, on Referendum Day Belarusian special services’ officers collected information about the real voting results. If independent observers say that fraud had taken place, but cannot prove it, the KGB certainly has this information.

After referendum Alyaksandr Lukashenka had not stated his reaction to the actions of the KGB publicly. But rumors are that he was displeased that a plot is hatching around him, Russian “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” wrote.

Today, on November 18, Leanid Yeryn’s leave ended.

At the moment Major-General Stsyapan Sukharenka (Stepan Sukhorenko) is acting KGB chairman.