MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Belarus has irrefutable proof that US state agencies were involved in the coup attempt in the republic, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said at the Moscow Conference on International Security on Wednesday.
According to the minister, the lack of checks and balances made the "powers that be feel their impunity, and they do not shy away from crossing the traditional red lines".
"This phenomenon may be called state terrorism. […] Literally a couple of months ago, the Republic of Belarus faced a similar event. The joint operation of Belarusian and Russian intelligence thwarted a coup attempt involving the physical elimination of the head of the Belarusian state and members of his family. As of today, the investigation revealed irrefutable proof of US state agencies’ involvement," Krhenin said.
On April 17, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that opposition figure Grigory Kostusev, political researcher Alexander Feduta and lawyer Yuri Zenkovich planned the assassination of himself and his sons, as well as a coup attempt. Lukashenko held US intelligence agencies and the US administration responsible for the thwarted assassination plan.
According to the Belarusian investigation, the coup attempt was funded from abroad; the plotters stayed in close contact with terror groups. The criminal case was initiated over charges of conspiracy for seizure of power; nine people were charged. The Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) disclosed that the detained suspects have made confessions and are cooperating with the investigation.