De Wit-Russische KGB voegt de studiobaas van World of Tanks toe aan de terroristenlijst

Nikolai Katselapov, de chief business development officer bij World of Tanks studio Wargaming, lijkt dat te zijn geweest added to a list “of organisations and individuals involved in terrorist activities” (opent in nieuw tabblad) by Belarus’ Committee for State Security (or KGB, yes, as in dat KGB). In een beweging die waarschijnlijk werd aangewakkerd door Wargaming trekt zich terug uit Wit-Rusland (opent in nieuw tabblad) following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he is accused under article 290-1—”Financing of terrorist activities”—of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

Katselapov werd al op 30 december aan de lijst toegevoegd, maar dat gebeurde pas toen de onafhankelijke Wit-Russische krant Nasha Niva (opent in nieuw tabblad) (via Spel Wereldwaarnemer (opent in nieuw tabblad)) reported on the story that it came to wider public knowledge. Nasha Niva believes that Katselapov is still free, which would make sense given that Wargaming hasn’t been present in Belarus for nearly a year now, but hasn’t been able to obtain comment from the company thus far.

I’ve also reached out to Wargaming to ask for comment on this story, and will update this piece if I receive a reply.

Belarus has long used its terrorist list as a political bludgeon. In the past, dissidents like opposition leader and former presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya have been added to it as a pretext to justify repression of groups and individuals hostile to president Alyaksandr Lukashenka. It’s likely that Wargaming’s decision to vacate the country back in April last year offended the higher echelons of Belarus’ government, particularly given that Wargaming was the country’s largest game development studio: In 2016 werd de waarde geschat op ruim een ​​miljard dollar. (opent in nieuw tabblad)

It’s unclear why Belarus has picked on Katselapov particularly, though Nasha Niva theorises he may at some point have donated money to opposition political figures. Regardless, he has become entry #993 on the most recent version of Belarus’ terrorist list, and it’s looking even more unlikely that Wargaming will return to its home country anytime soon.

• Door SEO aangedreven content en PR-distributie. Word vandaag nog versterkt.
• Platoblockchain. Web3 Metaverse Intelligentie. Kennis versterkt. Toegang hier.
• Bron: https://www.pcgamer.com/belarusian-kgb-adds-world-of-tanks-studio-boss-to-terrorist-list