Scandal around German aid to Belarusian police grows louder

German Social Democrats aren’t satisfied with the Interior Minister’s "vague" explanations, he is wanted in the Bundestag.

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) called the explanations of cooperation between Belarusian and German interior ministries (given by the Minister of Interior Hans-Peter Freidrich) "swindle".

The SDP also expressed its wish to meet with the minister at the Bundestag session on internal affairs as soon as possible. The Leftists and the Green have already prepared a list of questions to the government. They will also demand Mr. Freidrich to explain supplying Belarusian police with the ammunition, Der Tagesspiegel says.

The opposition found the statement by the Interior Ministry saying on August 27 that Germany’s Interior Ministry supplied the colleagues in Minsk with computers, software, videocameras and three Volkswagens (however, without shipping any batons) not comprehensive.

"It would have been better if the civilian population had been given support," said Cem Ozdemir, the Green party leader

The explanations by the Interior Ministry were called "vague and ambiguous". The SPD also advised the Interior Ministry to get ready for a punishment.

Michael Hartmann, the SPD spokesperson on interior affairs praised the cooperation among law enforcement agencies, yet noted that "there are ‘red lines’, and in the case of the cooperation with Belarus it was crossed when it Became obvious that Lukashenka would not reform anything".

Jan Korte of the Leftists says Hans-Peter Freidrich tried to justify the shipments of audio and video devices to Belarusian police, however it was "swindle" as "everyone realizes how important such equipment is for controlling the police units".

The Green were "surprised" at such kind of assistance to Belarusian Interior Ministry.

Previously, German Bild wrote that Belarus received around 100 sets of ammunition (batons, helmets and shields) and Belarusian police officers were allowed at the dissolution of the anti-nuclear protesters as for training session.

Moreover, it turned out that the two ministries cooperated until 2012 while the German Ministry of Interior said the cooperation was halted after police brutality against protesters in Minsk on December 19, 2010.