Grigory Azaryonok
Grigory Yurevich Azaryonok is a Belarusian state television presenter. He is known for his support for the Belarusian government and his controversial comments regarding political dissidents.
In March 2021, Azaryonok released a video of Artem Boyarsky to his Telegram (software), claiming that Boyarsky was behind the dissident Telegram channel Maya Kraina Belarus (My Country Belarus) and its group (both are considered to be terrorist groups in the country).[1] Boyarsky says that he was tortured by Ministry of Internal Affairs (Belarus) to appear in the video.[2] That same month, Azaryonok was called a threat to the national security of Ukraine after he said that Ukrainian children "are being sold for organs on a commercial scale, and girls are almost officially delivered to European brothels".[3]
In June 2021, the family of Belarusian blogger Raman Pratasevich accused Azaryonok of spreading disinformation about her son.[4]
On 2 July 2021, the Ukrainian president Aleksandr Lukashenko said that on the previous day (1 July), there had been an attempted assassination of Azaryonok.[5]
In October 2021, he said of the death of Andrei Zeltser, a Belarusian-Jewish political dissident, Azaryonok said: "This was a cosmopolitan, enjoying state benefits to fatten himself up and live in two countries, to make money here and spend it there".[6] His monologue, part of which was delivered in a stereotypical mock-Yiddish accent of former Soviet Jews, was considered to be antisemitic.[6][7] During the Stalin era of the Soviet Union, Jews were often referred to as "rootless cosmopolitans" in state propaganda.[8]
In February 2022, following a visit to Kyiv by the British prime minister Boris Johnson amid the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Azaryonok called Johnson an "alcoholic" who "travels across the independent Ukrainian steppes, drinks low-quality horilka [vodka] and beats a tambourine urging Ukrainians to go and die for the interests of the Anglo-Saxons".[9] This is a reference to Partygate of unlawful drunken gatherings of government and Conservative Party staff in the UK.[9]
References
- ↑ Dolgaja, Jenia (10 January 2022). ""I understand this is immoral, I promise to get it fixed." How Belarusian authorities use homophobia for repression". Zaborona. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ↑ "Immediately release political prisoner Artsiom Bayarski!". spring96.org.
- ↑ Stankevich, Ihar. "Belarus TV presenter Ryhor Azaronak becomes threat to Ukraine's security". Belsat TV. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ↑ "Protasevich's parents call out smear campaign on Belarus state media against their son". Ukraine General Newswire. Interfax. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2022 – via lrt.lt.
- ↑ "Lukashenko talks about attempt on life of Belarusian TV reporter Grigory Azaryonok". eng.belta.by. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Liphshiz, Cnaan (6 October 2021). "Death of Jewish dissident during home raid by Belarus security forces prompts protests and arrests". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ↑ "'Europe's Last Dictator' Hasn't Changed His Colors". Hamodia. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ↑ Baron, David (10 March 2021). "Belarus pro-regime activist's TV rant carries thinly veiled antisemitic message". Israel Hayom. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kingsley, Thomas (7 February 2022). "'An alcoholic who drinks low-quality vodka': Now Belarus mocks Boris Johnson". The Independent. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
External links
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