TALLINN, Estonia — A prominent Belarusian opposition member, Vasil Verameichyk, has been apprehended in Vietnam and subsequently extradited to Belarus, where he is confronted with severe charges that include terrorism, with the potential for a death sentence, according to opposition sources. This incident highlights the ongoing repression by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, which has intensified since the controversial elections of 2020, igniting widespread protests against his regime.
According to Belarus’ main security agency, the KGB, Verameichyk was detained in Vietnam following a request from the Belarusian government. He faces terrorism-related charges connected to his role in the Kalinouski Regiment, a battalion composed of Belarusian volunteers that fights alongside Ukrainian forces in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Kalinouski Regiment has been labeled a terrorist organization within Belarus, complicating the legal situation for its members.
In Belarus, certain terrorism-related offenses can lead to severe penalties, including long imprisonment or capital punishment. Verameichyk stands as the first individual from the regiment to be apprehended in Belarus. State television recently aired footage of him being escorted off an aircraft in handcuffs upon his arrival in the capital, Minsk.
KGB representative Konstantin Bychek stated on state television, “Individuals who have taken the path of terrorism and extremism, those who are haunted by the existence of a peaceful and calm Belarus, must live with the thought that Belarusian justice will catch up with them anywhere in the world.” Since 2020, over half a million Belarusians have fled the nation, which has a population of approximately 9.5 million, following the government’s violent crackdown on dissent, including mass arrests.
In the past year, the Lukashenko administration has escalated its efforts to target dissidents living abroad, initiating criminal cases against them and seeking their extradition back to Belarus. Additionally, the government has focused on those opposing Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. Since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, 2022, Belarus has played a supportive role by allowing Russian troops to operate from its territory, although its own military has not been actively engaged in the conflict.
Moreover, last year, Belarus accommodated some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons without disclosing the quantity involved. Human rights groups report that over 1,500 individuals have been detained in Belarus for voicing anti-war sentiments or expressing solidarity with Ukraine amidst the ongoing hostilities.
Verameichyk is associated with the opposition’s Coordination Council. He participated in the protests against the government in 2020 and subsequently fled to Ukraine the following year to escape prosecution. There, he enlisted with the Kalinouski Regiment to fight against invading Russian forces until April 2022 when he was injured and chose to leave the regiment.
Following Lithuania’s refusal to grant him residency due to his prior service in the Belarusian army, he relocated to Vietnam. The Coordination Council reported that Verameichyk was detained in Ho Chi Minh City on November 13 and was flown to Minsk the following day. Furthermore, Belarusian authorities conducted searches at the homes of Verameichyk’s family members in Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhnaouskaya, an exiled leader of the Belarusian opposition, described Verameichyk’s predicament as both “alarming and unbearable.” She expressed concern over the possible repercussions he might face, stating, “Vasil faces more than 20 years in prison or the death penalty under Lukashenko’s regime,” and urged international communities to cease extradition practices back to Belarus and provide assistance to exiled Belarusians.