Vitryska KGB lägger till World of Tanks studiochef på terroristlistan

Nikolai Katselapov, chef för affärsutveckling på World of Tanks studio Wargaming, verkar ha varit added to a list “of organisations and individuals involved in terrorist activities” (öppnas i ny flik) by Belarus’ Committee for State Security (or KGB, yes, as in den där KGB). I ett drag som troligen utlöstes av Wargaming drar sig ur Vitryssland (öppnas i ny flik) 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 lades faktiskt till på listan ända tillbaka den 30 december, men det var först när den oberoende vitryska tidningen Nasha Niva (öppnas i ny flik) (via Game World Observer (öppnas i ny flik)) 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: Det värderades till över en miljard dollar 2016. (öppnas i ny flik)

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