Belarusian police detain suspects in vandalism of Holocaust memorial
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 23 November 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Belarusian police detain suspects in vandalism of Holocaust memorial, 23 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a2826.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 23, 2016
It is the second time the Holocaust memorial in Mahilieu has been vandalized in the past five years.
MAHILEU, Belarus – Police in the eastern Belarusian city of Mahileu have detained two teenagers suspected of desecrating a monument that honors victims of the Holocaust.
Alyaksey Kaplan, the chairman of the Directorate of the Jewish Community in Mahileu, told RFE/RL that police informed him on November 23 that two "skinheads" were detained and two other suspects were being sought.
The suspects face hooliganism charges.
Local authorities in Mahileu said on November 21 that unknown perpetrators had poured black paint on the memorial stone during the weekend.
The stone marks the site of the Jewish ghetto in Mahileu during the occupation of the town by Nazi Germany in World War II.
In October and November 1941, troops from Nazi Germany killed more than 10,000 Jews at the site.
In June 2012, vandals poured brown paint on the same stone. The perpetrators were never found.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
