Protasevich told how he got to Azov

MOSCOW, 11 Aug. The founder of the Nexta Telegram channel, recognized as extremist in Belarus, Roman Protasevich said that he was in the Ukrainian battalion «Azov» (against whose fighters a criminal case was initiated in the Russian Federation — ed.), Because he wanted to work as a war photographer. that I was looking for a way to go, work in the war. Because for many years, and even after, I wanted to work, including as a military journalist, to work at the front, etc. This is what attracted me. And even my arrival in Ukraine , in «Azov» it was simply due to the fact that I managed to agree that I was just like a photographer. With this unit … «, — said Protasevich in an interview with RT. Lukashenko said that Protasevich was interrogated by representatives of the LPR. At the same time, Protasevich called the accusations of representatives of the LPR that he was killing someone outright nonsense. “I don’t know, to be honest, what they were convinced of. The statements they made were quite lengthy. suited people, for some sums, which, of course, is outright nonsense, «- said Protasevich. He also added that he had never been to the territory of the LPR. “Moreover, I have never even been to the territory of the LPR. Therefore, I think it is better to ask them these questions. As for other aspects, first of all, I have repeatedly cooperated with the investigation. And let's be honest . If there were any questions to me on this line, I probably would not have been sitting here, and my charges would have been completely different. Besides, you know, this is an incident that was … I came back at the end 2015. And after that I had searches, and meetings with the same GUBOPiK (Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption — ed.), Etc. To be honest, it was somewhat strange for me to observe that just propaganda I used this negative image to a large extent. Although everyone understood perfectly well that if I had questions about this, I would have sat down even then, in 2015, in 2016, «Protasevich said. Commenting on the information about the Nazis in the battalion «Azov», Protasevich noted that, according to his data, there are no more than 10% of Nazis. » First, I think any person who is in one way or another familiar with the representatives of this unit can say that, firstly, there are some outright Nazis or ultra-rightists, there are no more than ten percent of them. And secondly, again, I cannot know everything. But I have never seen that there was any torture or cruel treatment there. I have never even seen any prisoners there. Although, in general, he lived … «, — said Protasevich. Earlier, the head of the KGB of Belarus Ivan Tertel said that Protasevich participated in the actions of the Azov battalion in southeastern Ukraine. readiness to provide the Belarusian law enforcement agencies with available information and legal assistance in the investigation of the case against him. According to LPR legislation, Protasevich faces up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment. In April 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed LPR and DPR, which declared about independence after the coup d'etat in Ukraine in February 2014. According to the latest UN data, about 13 thousand people became victims of the conflict. Poland and Lithuania «ordered» Protasevich, Lukashenko said