Belarus has declared two British diplomats persona non grata – military attache Timothy White Boycott and deputy ambassador Lisa Tamwood, spokesman for the republic’s Foreign Ministry Anatoly Glaz said on the ONT TV channel. According to law enforcement agencies, they collected information about the internal political situation in Belarus and the course of the protests, according to the channel’s report. The diplomats have already left Belarus, reports ONT.
“On November 8, 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, in view of activities incompatible with the status of a diplomatic agent, the status of a diplomat, as well as with the goals of staying in the Republic of Belarus, decided to declare two diplomats of the British Embassy persona non grata,” said Mr. Glaz (quote according to RIA Novosti).
He noted that the decision was forced. “By this decision, the Belarusian side in no way closes the doors for dialogue with our British colleagues and leaves them open,” the press secretary said.
Ms. Tamwood coordinated the work of the journalists of the BBC Brussels bureau who came to the republic to cover the protests and the work of the campaign headquarters of the ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the channel said. “According to available data, since May of this year, diplomats have met with representatives of opposition, public, human rights organizations, as well as non-governmental structures,” reports ONT.
Protests have continued since election day in August. The demonstrators do not agree that Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner in the elections.
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