{"id":11317,"date":"2021-12-28T23:45:18","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T20:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/heavy-sentences-cap-off-2021-moscow-intends-to-appoint-political-heavyweight-as-ambassador\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"heavy-sentences-cap-off-2021-moscow-intends-to-appoint-political-heavyweight-as-ambassador","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11317\/","title":{"rendered":"Heavy sentences cap off 2021, Moscow intends to appoint political heavyweight as ambassador"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n <span>By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n <b>Belarusian authorities kept up their attacks on opponents and dissidents at the end of the year. Minsk also saw its dependence on Moscow increase considerably. Aware of its clout, the Kremlin has moved to appoint a heavyweight politician as Russia\u2019s ambassador in Belarus. <\/b>\n<\/p>\n<p> <b> <\/b><\/p>\n<h2> <span>Afraid of own shadow<\/span> <\/h2>\n<p>\n\t The Belarusian legislature continues to rubberstamp bills introducing harsher punishment for dissent. Last week, it approved draft legislation that would carry a maximum prison sentence of up to two years for involvement in activities of outlawed and non-registered groups.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The bill would also introduce fines for any financial assistance to people convicted of participation in protests.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t On December 21, an article was added to the Criminal Code to introduce heavy punishment for calls for sanctions. It carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Long prison sentences have become a daily routine at the end of the year. Earlier this month, a judge in Homiel sentenced politicians Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski and Mikalaj Statkievi\u010d, journalist Ihar Losik and others to prison terms of 14 to 18 years. Last week, five anarchists were given prison terms of 18 to 20 years. The prosecutor demanded an 11-year sentence for Yegor Dudnikov, a Russian national, for allegedly doing voice overs for an opposition channel in Telegram.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Also last week, Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka announced the arrest of six men for alleged attempts to \u201ccommit acts of terror.\u201d The Committee for State Security (KGB) declared the Belarus Service of Radio Liberty\/Radio Free Europe an extremist group. Two of its journalists, Andrej Kuznie\u010dyk and Alieh Hruzdzilovi\u010d, are in custody awaiting trials on criminal charges.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Administrations continue purging state enterprises and establishments across the country of disloyal employees.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Authorities seem to be afraid of their own shadow. This is a manifestation of posttraumatic stress officials suffered as a result of 2020 protests. In addition, Luka\u0161enka has been preparing for a constitutional referendum scheduled for late February.\n<\/p>\n<h2> <span>Gryzlov to stamp his authority<\/span> <\/h2>\n<p>\n\t Boris Gryzlov, Russia\u2019s former interior minister and Duma speaker, is expected to be the fifth ambassador appointed by Moscow since 2018. The reshuffles are illustrative of sudden changes in Russia\u2019s policy with regard to Belarus.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t In 2018 the Kremlin pushed for the unification of Belarus and Russia to enable Vladimir Putin to stay in power as head of the unified state after his second term runs out in 2024. Moscow appointed Mikhail Babich, a former senior security official, to head the diplomatic mission. After the Russian president solved the 2024 problem, he appointed less assertive and more pliant figures, such as Dmitry Mezentsev and Yevgeny Lukyanov.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The latest appointment is seen as a reward for long service and an opportunity for Gryzlov, 71, to wrap up his career. It may be also an attempt by Moscow to exercise its influence more effectively. It considers Belarus very important and would not take the ambassador\u2019s role lightly.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Belarus remains Russia\u2019s only ally in its standoff with the West. The appointment of a political heavyweight underscores Belarus\u2019 significance for Russia\u2019s foreign policy.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Russia has solidified its influence in Belarus in the last 18 months. Now it needs to bring its diplomatic presence in line with new, inferior status of its ally.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t USSR ambassadors acted as parallel governments in countries allied with the Soviet Union. Moscow is looking to revive that practice in Belarus. It hoped that Babich would play that role in 2018 and 2019. But the ambassador did that publicly and provoked an angry response from Minsk. Gryzlov is likely to use subtler methods to draw Belarus closer to Russia and temper Luka\u0161enka.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d Belarusian authorities kept up their attacks on opponents and dissidents at the end of the year. Minsk also saw its dependence on Moscow increase considerably. Aware of its clout, the Kremlin has moved to appoint a heavyweight politician as Russia\u2019s ambassador in Belarus. Afraid of own shadow The Belarusian legislature continues to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11317","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Heavy sentences cap off 2021, Moscow intends to appoint political heavyweight as ambassador | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d Belarusian authorities kept up their attacks on opponents and dissidents at the end of the year. 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