The United Kingdom has expelled two Belarusian diplomats in response to the expulsion of two British diplomats by the government of controversial President Lukashenko.
The UK will not be “bullied” by attempts by the regime in Minsk to “stop us from speaking out about the falsified elections and reprehensible violence against protesters,” tweeted British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
Raab called the ambassador of Belarus on Tuesday because of the deportation. According to Lukashenko’s government, the duo has been expelled from the country because of the “destructive nature” of their work.
These are British Military Attaché Timothy Wight-Boycott and Deputy Ambassador Lisa Thumwood. They are accused, among other things, of having met representatives of human rights organizations and other non-governmental organizations.
Raab called the expulsion on Monday “already completely unjustified”. According to him, “Lukashenko cannot hide the oppression of his own people”.
The United Kingdom recalled its ambassador from Belarus to London last month in solidarity with the expulsion of Polish and Lithuanian diplomats.