Belarusian rally in Kyiv to commemorate IT worker killed in shootout

Record ID: 1639399

  • Title: Belarusian rally in Kyiv to commemorate IT worker killed in shootout
  • Date: 29th September 2021
  • Summary: RALLY PARTICIPANTS HOLDING FLARES, CHANTING
  • Embargoed: 13th October 2021 20:09
  • Keywords: Belarus KGB Minsk apartment killed rally shotgun
  • Location: KYIV, UKRAINE
  • City: KYIV, UKRAINE
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA003EWRXOAV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: FOR MORE COVERAGE SEE 3134-BELARUS-PROTESTS/SECURITY
    Dozens of Belarusians living in Ukraine rallied on Wednesday (September 29) to commemorate an I.T. worker killed in shootout with Belarusian security service officers in Minsk.
    Demonstrators held photos of the 31-year-old man who died and white-red-white flags of Belarusian opposition.
    "We are not safe anywhere, not in our homeland, not here. We understand that every person here, in Kyiv is not in any less danger," one of the rally participants told Reuters.
    Belarusian security forces shot dead the man, identified by the pro-democracy opposition as an I.T. worker with U.S. company EPAM Systems, during a raid on Tuesday (September 28) at an apartment block in the Belarusian capital.
    The man had opened fire against the security forces, one of whom also died, the KGB security service said in a statement.
    It also said his wife had been arrested.
    The Investigative Committee of Belarus, which investigates major crimes, said a 31-year-old man was "liquidated with return fire" after resisting law enforcement officers.
    Reuters could not independently verify the statements or footage of the incident that was aired on Belarusian state television.
    EPAM declined to comment immediately.
    Forces loyal to President Alexander Lukashenko unleashed a violent crackdown on protests following a disputed election last year, including searches of apartment blocks where they believed protesters were hiding.
    In power since 1994, Lukashenko has defied Western sanctions and opposition calls to step down and described the protesters as criminals bent on violent uprising.
    (Production: Valentyn Ogirenko, Dmitry Turlyun)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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