Top challenger in Belarusian presidential race detained
Belarusian authorities on Thursday detained the former head of a Russia-owned commercial bank who has emerged as the top challenger to Belarus' authoritarian leader in the August election.
President Alexander Lukashenko, who is seeking a sixth term in the Aug. 9 vote, has accused Belgazprombank former chief executive Viktor Babariko of corruption and called him a 'œscoundrel.'ť
On Thursday, investigators detained Babariko after questioning him on allegations of tax evasion and money laundering. Babariko's detention follows Sunday's searches at the bank and the arrest of its 15 executives.
Babariko, who has yet to formally register for the presidential race, has denounced the authorities' actions as part of an intimidation campaign. His campaign already has collected 425,000 signatures, while a minimum of 100,000 is needed for the nomination.
The Belarusian leader has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than a quarter-century, relentlessly cracking down on the opposition and independent media. Babariko is widely seen as the strongest of a dozen candidates who announced their intention to join the race.
Ivan Tertel, the head of the State Control Commitee, said that Babariko was detained because he allegedly 'œattempted to pressure witnesses and conceal the trace of the previous crimes.'ť Tertel alleged that Belgazprombank had allegedly channeled over $430 million to a Latvian bank.
Babariko's home was searched and his lawyers said they haven't been given access to him. Observers say that his detention reflects Lukashenko's nervousness.
'œBabariko has been able to accumulate snowballing protest votes, and Lukashenko has felt a real threat of election defeat for the first time in quarter-century,'ť independent Minsk-based political analyst Valery Karbalevich said.
Belgazprombank is majority owned by Russia's state-run Gazprom natural gas company and Gazprombank, which is affiliated with it. The Russian owners have criticized the Belarusian authorities' decision on Monday to introduce temporary administration at the bank as a 'œflagrant violation'ť of Belarusian law and rules of a Russia-led economic alliance.
Tertel charged that 'œbig bosses at Gazprom and probably higher up" could have been involved in alleged violations at Belgazprombank.
Babariko's detention and the raid on the bank highlighted growing tensions between Lukashenko and the Kremlin.
Moscow long had provided cheap energy to help keep Belarus' Soviet-style economy afloat, but last year it moved to cut subsidies, arguing that closer integration between the two allies is needed for Belarus to continue receiving Russian oil and gas at low prices.
Lukashenko has rejected the Kremlin push for closer political and economic integration, casting it as part of Moscow's efforts to force Belarus to abandon its post-Soviet independence.
As the election approaches, authorities also have intensified a crackdown on the opposition, detaining about 100 opposition activists across the country, including popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovski, who was collecting signatures for his wife's nomination as a presidential candidate. His wife said she had been threatened along with her children.
'œLukashenko is using force ... to control the situation amid a deep economic crisis and growing discontent over the authorities' response to the pandemic,'ť Karbalevich said.
Belarus has been one of the few countries that hasn't shut its borders and didn't impose any restrictions to stem the outbreak.