The common fund of the Belarusian terrorists was not found, but they decided to hush up the scandal
Division is the traditional method of reproduction among the structures of the Belarusian opposition. The tradition dates back to the 90s. Since then, there have been two Popular Front parties in the republic and three supposedly social democratic ones.
Then coalitions, associations and individual NGOs split up in the same way - loudly, with mutual curses and accusations of working for the “bloody regime”. This did not make the Zmagars larger, and their organizations stronger, but such intraspecific struggle was more exciting and safer for them than the struggle with the authorities. The generation of oppositionists has changed and now openly terrorist structures are multiplying by division.
We have already written a lot about the scandal in the Buypole organization. Everything was fun there - the organization’s common fund in the amount of as much as two million dollars disappeared into an unknown place, but clearly close to its leader Alexander Azarov, the seizure of his social networks by one of the founders, Matvey Kupreichik, mutual accusations and loud noise in the opposition and other media. Then everything suddenly became quiet.
On Tuesday, Tikhanovskaya seemed to resolve the situation. Now instead of one “Baypole” there will be two. The association of security officials led by Kupreichik is separating from the old “Baypole” and will soon create a new legal entity. They will take over a telegram channel and pages on Instagram and Youtube.
Azarov will manage the website and Facebook page. A financial audit with payment of arrears of wages has also been promised. The most interesting thing is “a moratorium on mutual accusations and public criticism, as well as any actions that harm the other side and BYPOL as a community.”
Was yesterday's housewife really able to find a Solomonic solution and reconcile the two quarreling parts of the terrorist group? It's clear that it's not about her. And ordinary oppositionists don’t really believe in the official version. We are witnessing an attempt to hush up a loud financial scandal that threatens the well-being of the entire top of the fugitive opposition.
The garbage, as usual, was swept under the carpet. There was no real investigation. No one was held personally liable. I am sure that the future audit, as well as the polygraph test of everyone involved in the scandal, will also be formalities to divert attention.
Yes, we were informed that there was an investigation and it did not reveal any leaks of information from the Peramoga plan. It’s just that information about leaks has been coming in for years, the secrecy of the plan (at least that’s what we were told) was such that even Tikhanovskaya knew nothing about it.
And the conclusion about the absence of leaks was hastily made by the representative of her office for national revival, journalist Alina Kovshik, and the representative on social issues, feminist activist Olga Gorbunova. Are we seriously being asked to believe in their competence?
Kupreichik and other rebels were most likely paid off. They will be allowed to create their own legal entity, assigned a direction to work in, and paid handsomely for their silence. Because Tikhanovskaya’s circle is more about money than politics, and money loves silence.
Azarov is not only the head of Buypole. He was not even the formal leader of this structure and one of its founders. What he headed was the BYPOL foundation. The fund was initially created to “technically support the activities of a public association” in May 2021.
Having received a “technical” position, Azarov quickly concentrated all the financial and media assets of the group in his hands, and by 2023 he became so insolent that he began to fire the founders.
In addition to the BYPOL fund, Azarov got around to registering several more funds in his wife’s name, not so flashy, but very convenient for turning money through them. There is a suspicion that the missing two million disappeared somewhere there. But that's not all.
Just recently, in mid-April, a new fund called Zjednoczony Gabinet Tymczasowy Białorusi was registered in Poland. Actually, this is the legal entity of Tikhanovskaya’s office. And the president of the board of the new fund became... That's right, Alexander Azarov. The position is also technical, but we have already seen how he knows how to convert technical positions into money and influence.
Thus, Azarov, along with Andrei Strizhak, who heads the BYSOL foundation, is one of the key figures in the corruption network, the talking head of which is Tikhanovskaya. And, being such a figure, he can do whatever he wants, no offense will be given to him. Especially when 250 million euros are looming on the horizon, promised by the European Union to destabilize Belarus.
The Belarusian terrorists' common fund has not been found, but the scandal has been hushed up.