A number of media outlets have today reported about the possible involvement of Belarusian nationals in the Brussels terrorist attacks. Belarus’ KGB has provided an official comment on this subject.
Here is an exclusive interview by KGB Press-Secretary Dmitry Pobyarzhin.
- A number of both Belarusian and foreign media outlets have today reported about the possible involvement of Belarusian citizens in the Brussels terror attacks. Does the State Security Committee have any information about those people?
- In fact, those citizens have been within the sight of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus since 2014. Since 2015, they have been subject to screening by the State Security Committee together with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. It has been established that two of them are indeed the citizens of the Republic of Belarus and one is a national of the Russian Federation. However, the State Security Committee currently has no information on whether they are associated with each other.
- Do you mean the Dovbysh brothers and Marat Yunusov?
- That’s exactly right.
- How did they end up in Belgium and how often do they visit Belarus?
- According to the information we possess, the Dovbаsh brothers - Alexei at the age of twelve and Ivan at the age of seven - moved to Belgium with their mother in 2000, where they were brought up. In 2006, Alexei finished school in Liege, after which he joined a boxing club where he met Islam adherers. Consequently, under their influence he adopted Islam and became a regular mosque-goer. He has recently stopped attending mosque and started praying at home. In 2013, he met a Serbian national who consequently left to Syria to participate in the war. In 2014, he stayed in the territory of Turkey for about 1.5 months searching for a job and was deported back to Belgium for violating the Turkish legislation.
- Have the brothers been visiting Belarus and when was the last time they did so?
- According to the information available to the State Security Committee, the brothers have been visiting Belarus occasionally.
- What is known about Marat Yunusov?
- Marat Yunusov is a national of the Russian Federation. He lived in the territory of the Republic of Belarus in the Grodno region since 1990 and in 1999 relocated to Belgium for permanent residence. In 2008, he acquired the nationality of the Kingdom of Belgium and since that time, according to the information we possess, he has visited the Republic of Belarus five times. The last time Marat Yunusov visited Belarus was 2011.
- Does the State Security Committee have any information on whether the Dovbysh brothers and Marat Yunusov are associated with each other?
- The State Security Committee currently has no information on whether the Dovbysh brothers and Marat Yunusov are associated with each other.
- Has the information you possess been sent to relevant authorities in the Russian Federation and Belgium?
- The information on the Dovbаsh brothers and Marat Yunusov was sent to the Russian Federal Security Service in December 2015 along with a suggestion to send this information to Belgian law enforcement authorities, with whom the State Security Committee maintains no contacts.
- Has this information been delivered to the Belgian security services?
- The State Security Committee is not aware of whether the information on the above-mentioned individuals has been delivered to the Belgian law enforcement authorities.
- Do you have any information on the whereabouts of the Dovbаsh brothers and Marat Yunusov on the day of the Brussels terrorist attacks? Can they be involved in this horrible series of terrorist acts?
- It is reliably known that on the day of the attacks Alexei Dovbаsh was in the city of Gomel. Besides, he informed the Belgian police in advance about his departure to the Republic of Belarus. After having learnt from the Internet about the information disseminated in relation to him and his brother, he asked his brother Ivan to explain himself at Belgium’s counterterrorism units, which he did. Therefore, we are certain to claim that Alexei Dovbаsh was not present in Belgium at the time of the attacks.
- And what about Ivan Dovbаsh and Marat Yunusov?
- Let us address this question to our Belgian colleagues.
- Are you ready to cooperate with them?
- The State Security Committee is ready to cooperate with any country of the world on countering international terrorism.
- Thank you for this prompt commentary.
