The Palgrave Handbook of Global Counterterrorism Policy by Scott Nicholas Romaniuk Francis Grice Daniela Irrera & Stewart Webb

Author:Scott Nicholas Romaniuk, Francis Grice, Daniela Irrera & Stewart Webb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan UK, London

The Terrorist Threats to Belarus

Beginning in 2005, Belarus experienced a series of bomb attacks targeting civilians, law enforcement agencies, and foreign embassies. The first bombing occurred in 2005 in Vitebsk, the fourth-largest city in Belarus. On September 14, two people were wounded near a bus stop as a result of an explosion. A week later, also in Vitebsk, another bomb exploded near an outdoor café, wounding fifty-one people. The authorities classified these acts as hooliganism, allegedly caused by war between gangs. Later, authorities reported the arrest of two suspected individuals, but charges against them were dropped and the case remained unsolved for six years.

It is important to point out that hooliganism is a widely used legal term in post-Soviet countries, including Belarus. This criminal charge is somewhat close to the disorderly conduct charge in the United States and other countries. However, it covers a broader range of crimes that includes both misdemeanors and felonies: it is also defined as “deliberate actions grossly violating public order and expressing clear disrespect for society, accompanied by the use of violence or threat of violence, or destruction or damage to property, or distinguished by exceptional cynicism” (Criminal code 1999). The main difference between hooliganism and other violent crimes is the absence of a particular person or group of people at whom the crime is targeted. The Belarusian authorities often use a broadly defined term, hooliganism, to jail and threaten political opposition activists, especially in the run-up to the elections (RFERL 2010; Woehrel 2010; Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2013).

On July 4, 2008, a bomb exploded in the capital city of Minsk during an open air concert in one of the city’s main squares, coinciding with the celebration of the Independence Day of Belarus. The blast occurred shortly after midnight and wounded about fifty people. A second device that had failed to detonate was discovered later in the same area. President Lukashenko had attended the concert, which alleged that he could have been a target. However, the attack was classified as hooliganism as well.

On August 31, 2010, a Russian diplomatic mission in Minsk was attacked by petrol bombs (RT 2010). None of the embassy personnel were wounded, but an embassy-owned vehicle was burned as a result of the attack. The Belarusian authorities initially accused Russia of the provocative actions, meaning that the attacks might have been organized by Russia itself. However, they later arrested and sentenced the group of Belarusian anarchists responsible for that act. It has been alleged that the attack was conducted in solidarity with the Russian anarchists fighting for the Khimki Forest because the Russian government is responsible both for the continuing deforestation of Khimki and the repression of the anarchist movement (Revbel.org. 2010). Regardless of the undoubtedly political motivation of the attack, the charges against the Belarusian anarchists were classified as hooliganism, not terrorism.

The Minsk Metro bombing, which occurred on April 11, 2011, was the most violent event in recent Belarusian history. The blast occurred on a subway platform in the Oktyabrskaya Station at about 6 p.

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