Aliaksandr Azarau is a former police investigator in Belarusian security services including the Investigative Committee of Belarus and GUBOPiK.
18 Facts About Aliaksandr Azarau
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Aliaksandr Azarau was brought up in Frunzyenski District in Minsk.
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Aliaksandr Azarau's father, a construction worker, died from electrocution when Azarau was 11 and his mother was an engineer.
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Aliaksandr Azarau graduated in law at Belarus Institute of law in 2000.
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Aliaksandr Azarau obtained degrees from Belarus State Economic University and Minsk State Linguistic University while working as an investigator.
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Aliaksandr Azarau worked at GUBOPiK, a Belarusian security service, from 2008 to around 2018, as a specialist in investigating human trafficking.
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Aliaksandr Azarau reached the status of lieutenant-colonel as head of a GUBOPiK unit.
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Aliaksandr Azarau resigned from official police duties and joined BYPOL, an organisation of Belarusian former security officers who oppose the Alexander Lukashenko presidency of Belarus.
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Aliaksandr Azarau was the head of BYPOL Foundation when it was created in May 2021.
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Aliaksandr Azarau retained a role of work with the Cabinet in implementing the "Victory" plan.
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Aliaksandr Azarau sees himself as having never "supported Lukashenko" and aimed to serve the interests of Belarusians.
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In May 2021, Aliaksandr Azarau estimated that many members of the official Belarusian security forces did not wish to support activities of repression, but worried about being unemployable if they resigned.
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Aliaksandr Azarau predicted that at a "critical moment", only a small number of security forces would defend Lukashenko, and employees who "doubt [and] silently go to work" would support the anti-Lukashenko opposition.
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Aliaksandr Azarau stated that GUBOPiK, Azarau's former employer, had frequently broadcast videos of people who stated that they had been arrested for participation in Peramoga.
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In July 2023, the group Joint Resistance Staff accused Aliaksandr Azarau of working for the Belarusian intelligence directorate.
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Aliaksandr Azarau interpreted the events as harassment, that effectively frightened friends and family from contacting his mother.
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Aliaksandr Azarau believes that Belarusian spies were sent to Poland to spy on Aliaksandr Azarau and "eliminate" BYPOL leadership.
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On 15 February 2024, Aliaksandr Azarau was sentenced to 25 years in prison in absentia.