January 23, Pozirk. One day after Belarusian opposition intelligence obtained and published personal data of 10,000 election officials, the Belarusian Prosecutor General’s Office has launched a criminal investigation into the leak.
The BelPol “extremist” group is being investigated for illegal actions related to personal data and information on private life, Dźmitry Bryloŭ, the office’s department head, has said.
“We are very happy that we have achieved our goal! We know their names, and sooner or later these people will answer according to the law,” a BelPol investigator told Pozirk, noting that election officials might be involved in election fraud.
If not for election officials, Alaksandar Łukašenka would not be able to hold on to power for so long, the source added.
The government keeps the identities of election officials secret, ostensibly to protect their safety.
During the 2020 presidential election, some officials left polling stations under police protection while protesters demanded a fair vote count. At some polling stations, the count was accurate and properly documented.
But in the run-up to the January 21-26 presidential election, the Committee for State Security (KGB), police and local executive authorities have vetted all election commission members and observers for loyalty to Łukašenka to prevent leaks, according to BelPol.
The election has been criticized as a stage-managed ritual with a predetermined outcome. The Belarusian pro-democracy forces have already dismissed it as a sham.
