Belarus

[version]

What the fuck?

Belarus opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova 'snatched from street' in Minsk

Kolesnikova on council calling for a peaceful transfer of power amid post-election protests

www.theguardian.com

Unidentified masked men snatched the leading Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova from the street in the centre of the capital, Minsk, on Monday and drove her away in a minivan, witnesses told local media.

It is unclear who abducted Koselnikova. Her coordination council colleagues who have disappeared include Anton Rodnenkov, Ivan Kravtsov and Maxim Bogretsov. Her press team is also missing.

Kolesnikova’s press aide, Rodnenkov, confirmed her abduction but vanished himself around 40 minutes later, it reported. Kolesnikova’s allies said they were checking the report of her detention. Police in Minsk were cited by Russia’s Interfax news agency as saying they had not detained her.

 

[IdleRich]

This is dark

 

[Leo]

It reads like a Netflix series, but in real life.

 

[...]

U.S. Mulling Sanctions Against Human Rights Abusers In Belarus, Pompeo Says

The United States is considering “targeted sanctions” on people involved in human rights abuses and repression in Belarus, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on September 8.

www.rferl.org

 

[IdleRich]

OK that's something. Seems they kidnapped them but luckily didn't have the balls to lock them up or worse.

 

[sus]

Wonder if false flag, otherwise too clumsy

 

[IdleRich]

Don't think so. I just think they are clumsy and scared.

 

[Mr. Tea]

Possibly an element of testing the water - seeing what they can get away with in terms of international sanctions.

 

[sus]

Totally possible, but how was there any outcome to the plan "kidnap an opposition leader and then dump them on the border" other than fueling protests, at a time when de-escalating is the primary political priority?

 

[sus]

I guess I'm just saying you gotta imagine whoever orchestrated this has escalating, rather than de-escalating, tensions as a priority, regardless of side—albeit, that may just reflect the President's interests

 

[...]

Lukashenko and his security services have been brutalizing opposition politicians for two decades, they are not new to this.

 

[Mr. Tea]

Totally possible, but how was there any outcome to the plan "kidnap an opposition leader and then dump them on the border" other than fueling protests, at a time when de-escalating is the primary political priority?

No idea. Maybe they had something more drastic in mind and then bottled it?

I'm not sure it's a given that they want to de-escalate, either. Look at Trump - when has he ever "de-escalated" anything?

 

[IdleRich]

The thing is, they got two of them out of the country and almost a third. Presumably once out they would not be let back in. So, although it was obviously awful and underhand, they probably believed that the situation on the ground would move in their favour.

 

[sus]

Lukashenko and his security services have been brutalizing opposition politicians for two decades, they are not new to this.

Wait does that make it more or less likely they orchestrated this?

 

[yyaldrin]

could also just be a bullshit story from the guardian

 

[version]

The government are claiming she was arrested while trying to flee for Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials are saying that isn't the case and she tore up her passport so she couldn't be forced to leave.

NPR Cookie Consent and Choices

www.npr.org

 

[version]

Sounds to me like they snatched her and tried to force her into exile.

 

[sus]

How would that make it less likely?

"Two decades of experience brutalizing opposition" implies both competence and brutality; this would be neither.

 

[sus]

It was a genuine question I'm not trying to be snarky!

 

[luka]

im sure Craner will talk you through it when hes finished work. he spent almost two decades in the embassy in Beleros, hes pretty familair with the way things work there