SOBR (Belarus)

The Special Rapid Response Unit (Belarusian: Спецыяльны атрад хуткага рэагавання, romanized: Spiecyjalny atrad chutkaha reahavannia; Russian: Специальный отряд быстрого реагирования, romanized: Spetsialnyy otryad bystrogo reagirovaniya), abbreviated SOBR[lower-alpha 1] or SAChR,[lower-alpha 2] is a special police unit within the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Its current leader is Aliaksandr Bykaŭ.

Special Rapid Response Unit
Спецыяльны атрад хуткага рэагавання
Специальный отряд быстрого реагирования
Founded29 June 1999 (1999-06-29)
CountryBelarus
BranchInternal Troops of Belarus
TypeSpecial police
SizeUnknown
Deployments2020–2021 Belarusian protests
Commanders
Current
commander		Aliaksandr Bykaŭ
Notable
commanders		Dmitri Pavlichenko

SOBR is controversial for its role in attacks against members of the Belarusian opposition, for which it has been accused of being a death squad by various sources. The head of the force was sanctioned by the European Union for its role in the government crackdown on the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests. The unit also allegedly played a role in the enforced disappearances of opposition leaders Yury Zacharanka, Viktar Hanchar, and Anatol Krasoŭski in 1999, charges that it has denied.

History

The Special Rapid Response Unit was formally established on 29 June 1999 by Order 14 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as part of the Internal Troops of Belarus.[1] The first formal deployment of SOBR was in the city of Orsha in October 1999, where it was tasked with dismantling a local criminal group.[2] In August 2009, the unit trained with Venezuelan security forces, alongside the 5th Spetsnaz Brigade, State Security Committee, Presidential Security Service, and Alpha Group. A group of SOBR and Venezuelan security officers climbed Pico Bolívar, where the flags of both Belarus and Venezuela were erected.[3]

On 16 March 2016, SOBR was formally subordinated to the 3rd Separate Special-Purpose Brigade by Ihar Šunievič, Minister of Internal Affairs.[2] During the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, SOBR participated in the crackdown on protests alongside OMON.[4] As a result of its involvement, SOBR leader Aliaksandr Bykaŭ was sanctioned by the European Union in 2020.[5] In July 2023, the unit, along with other Belarusian police force units, met with members of the Wagner Group.[6]

Enforced disappearances

Both within Belarus and internationally, SOBR is controversial for its alleged role in enforced disappearances of Belarusian opposition members. Former SOBR officer Yury Harauski has claimed since 2019 that he had been part of the unit that performed the disappearances of Yury Zacharanka, Viktar Hanchar, and Anatol Krasoŭski, saying that the latter two men were abducted while leaving a sauna in Minsk and shot to death by Pavlichenko in the city of Begoml before being buried in the forests.[7] In 2023, Harauski was arrested in Switzerland under universal jurisdiction, becoming the first Belarusian citizen to be arrested under the principle. During the trial, Harauski admitted his guilt, but also indicted Pavlichenko for the actual murders.[8]

For its alleged role in enforced disappearances, SOBR has been referred to as a death squad or a "hit squad" by Harauski, Council of Europe lawyer Christos Pourgourides,[7] and the BBC.[8] Harauski's claims were rejected by members of SOBR, with Pavlichenko alleging he had been removed from the unit due to criminal activities and lower-ranking members asserting without evidence that he had made the claims in return for money. A former official at the Ministry of Internal Affairs was quoted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as saying that the information was timed to discredit Lukashenko prior to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Belarus-Russia integration.[9]

Notes
  1. Russian: СОБР
  2. Belarusian: САХР

References
  1. "СОБР ⚡️⚡️⚡️" [SOBR ⚡️⚡️⚡️]. Honour Association of SN Veterans (in Russian).
  2. "Спецназ в спецназе: столичный СОБР реорганизован в отдельную воинскую часть ВВ МВД" [Spetsnaz within Spetsnaz: Capital SOBR reorganised into separate military unit of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs]. Minsk News (in Russian). 18 March 2016. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  3. "Белорусский спецназ покорил пик Боливара" [Belarusian spetsnaz climbs Pico Bolívar]. 21.by (in Russian). 26 August 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  4. "Жнівень-2020. Мы — сьведкі. „У галаве дзьве гематомы, а саджаюць у турму". АБНАЎЛЯЕЦЦА" [August 2020: We are witnesses. "There are two hematomas in the head, and he is sent to prison." (UPDATED)]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Belarusian). 14 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  5. "Лукашэнку ўнясуць у санкцыйны спіс Еўразвязу" [Lukashenko to be included in EU sanctions list]. Polskie Radio (in Belarusian). 12 October 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  6. "Командиры СОБРа, «Алмаза» и минского ОМОНа встретились с «вагнеровцами» – фотофакт" [Commanders of SOBR, Almaz, and Minsk OMON meet with "Wagnerites" - Photofact]. Reformation (in Russian). 24 July 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  7. Trippe, Christian F.; Sotnik, Ekaterina (16 December 2019). "Belarus: How death squads targeted opposition politicians". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  8. Rainsford, Sarah (18 September 2023). "Former Belarus 'hit squad' member on trial in Switzerland". BBC. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  9. Wesolowsky, Tony (18 December 2019). "Belarus Death Squad? Chilling Claims A Shock But No Surprise, While Some See Kremlin Hand". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
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