КГБ Беларуси внесло босса студии World of Tanks в список террористов

Николай Кацелапов, директор по развитию бизнеса студии World of Tanks Wargaming, похоже, added to a list “of organisations and individuals involved in terrorist activities” (открывается в новой вкладке) by Belarus’ Committee for State Security (or KGB, yes, as in который КГБ). В движении, которое, вероятно, было вызвано Wargaming уходит из Беларуси (открывается в новой вкладке) 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.

Кацелапова фактически внесли в список еще 30 декабря, но только тогда, когда независимая белорусская газета Наша нива (открывается в новой вкладке) (через Обозреватель игрового мира (открывается в новой вкладке)) 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: В 2016 году он был оценен более чем в миллиард долларов. (открывается в новой вкладке)

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.

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• Источник: https://www.pcgamer.com/belarusian-kgb-adds-world-of-tanks-studio-boss-to-terrorist-list