"If Russians Come With Bad Intentions, Every Belarusian Rises"
- 22.09.2020, 14:38
A Belarusian official, who got the position in Crimea, recorded a video message in Smalevichy.
On September 22, portal tut.by published a video with the former head of Smalevichy district executive committee Mikhail Zagortsev, who condemned the violence of law-enforcement agencies after the presidential election in Belarus. Radio Svaboda reports Zagortsev was appointed deputy head of Yalta administration in the Crimea, which was annexed by Russia.
The video was recorded in Smalevichy, but the exact date of recording is unknown. Zagortsev says he is undergoing treatment after surgery. He claims he has survived clinical death twice, was afraid and still afraid that he will not live to see "free Belarus".
"Our children did it, I am grateful to our women for everything. Our generation apologizes for letting it happen. Former colleagues, mayors, chairmen, it is not too late to prevent bloodshed. You saw that people have decided to change everything. You prevented it. It is not too late to change your mind and follow the people," he said.
In his address, Zagortsev urged his former colleagues, heads of the Belarusian districts, to take the side of the people, appealed to his friends-generals and Interior Minister Yuri Karaev.
"Mr Karaev, you remembered your family and children. Why do you ignore our children? There are conversations about the Russian trace. It's hard to believe, we still can't believe that our Belarusians can mock children and women like that," says the former official.
Zagortsev also appealed to the mayors of Russian twin cities [Smalevichy], as well as the heads of Russian factories, not to let their children commit crimes in Belarus.
"I said yes, we were isolated. We did not see or understand what was going on. When we saw all this on the Internet, adult men were crying. But I told them (Russians - ed.): do not let your sons go there. After all, if they come with bad intentions, every Belarusian will rise," Zagortsev said, mentioning World War II.
Zagortsev says he is proud of his children and relatives who participate in protests and apologized for letting the violence happen. In Yalta, Zagortsev will supervise territorial agencies, housing and public transportation. From 2011 to March 2020, Zahortsev served as chairman of the Smalevichy District Executive Committee. Before that, he used to be the chairman of Babruisk City Council of "deputies", held other administrative positions in Babruisk and Homel.