Ministry of Internal Affairs (Belarus)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus (Belarusian: Міністэрства ўнутраных спраў Рэспублікі Беларусь; Russian: Министерство внутренних дел Республики Беларусь), abbreviated МUS (МУС) in Belarusian and MVD (МВД) in Russian, is a body of the Belarusian Government that is charged with the internal affairs of Belarus. Day to day law enforcement is carried out by the Militsiya. The Ministry is also tasked with providing security to state buildings and officials. Organizations such as the Presidential Guard are under the control of the Ministry. The clearing of landmines is among the tasks of the ministry.

History

The MVD/MUS has previously operated under the following names:

NKVD of the Belarusian SSR (1933–1946)
Ministry of Security of the Belarusian SSR (1946–1962)
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Belarusian SSR (1962–1991)
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (1991–present)

Role in political repressions

According to human rights groups, the United States, and the European Union, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its senior leadership play a key role in human rights violations and political repressions in Belarus.

A number of former Ministers and senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including commanders and officers of the police (Militsiya) and of special police units operated by the Ministry (OMON, Almaz) have been included in the sanctions lists of the European Union and the United States.

Several former officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are being accused of involvement in unresolved disappearances and allegedly murder of opposition leaders Yuri Zakharenko (also former Minister of Internal Affairs himself) and Viktor Gonchar, opposition sponsor Anatoly Krasovski, and journalist Dmitri Zavadski in 1999–2000.

Sanctioned officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus

Structure

Its law enforcement central agency, the Militsiya, is considered to be the main policing and law enforcement agency in Belarus, consisting of services such as:

Criminal Police
- Central Department of Criminal Investigation
- Central Department for Combatting Economic Crimes
- Department for Drug Control and Trafficking in Human Beings Combatting
- Bureau of Day-to-Day Information Service
Public Security Police
- Central Department for Law and Order Ensuring and Prevention of Crimes
- Department of State Traffic Police
- Department of Daily On-Duty Service
- AMAP/OMON
Minister's Personnel
Official representatives of the MIA
Central Personnel Department
Central Department of Ideological Work
Central Department of Internal Security
Central Department of Controlling and Auditing
Main Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime and Corruption
Headquarters
International Cooperation Department
Department of State Secrets Protection
Bureau of Preparedness Activity and Area Defense
Department of Day-to-Day Investigation Activity
Department of Citizenship and Migration
Department for Execution of Judgments
Department of Finance and Logistics
Internal Troops
Department of Security
Interpol National Central Bureau of Belarus
Department of Information and Public Relations
Department of High-Tech Crimes Detection (Department "K")
Department of Supervision Activities
Regional affiliates
- Minsk City Police Department
- Brest City Police Department
- Gomel City Police Department
- Mogilev City Police Department
- Vitebsk City Police Department
Educational Institutions
- Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Mogilev Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Centre for Professional Development of Executives and Specialists of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Faculty of Interior Troops of the Military Academy of Belarus
- Minsk City Cadet College No. 1

Internal Troops

The Internal Troops (Унутраныя войскі) are a uniformed paramilitary gendarmerie force of Belarus. They were formed from the former Soviet Internal Troops following the collapse of the Soviet Union and consist of three independent brigades and seven independent battalions, totaling round 12,000 personnel. The Internal Troops are regulated by Law No. 2341-XII, signed on 3 June 1993.

Among the Internal Troop formations is the Minsk-based 3rd Red Banner Separate Special-Purpose Brigade (Military 3214, nicknamed the "Uruchenskaya Brigade"). Formed in the 1990s on the basis of the 334th Regiment of the 120th Guards Motor Rifle Division, this specific brigade performs crowd control and anti-terrorism tasks, as well as provides assistance to border guards. In addition, the brigade also trains for combined arms operations in the event an armed conflict arises.

Militsiya

Following the example of the Soviet Militsiya, the Militsiya of the Republic of Belarus is the primary law enforcement agency in Belarus and is responsible for regular policing duties in the country.

Cultural organizations of the MUS

The Museum of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (Russian: Музей МВД), Belarusian: Музей МУС) is an official ministerial and cultural institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It was opened on 24 October 1986 as an exhibition devoted to the history of law enforcement agencies on the territory of modern Belarus of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to present. It underwent a major restoration in the beginning of September 2005.
Na Strazhe (Russian: На страже), which translates to On Guard in English is a departmental newspaper of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The signature of all police officers on the newspaper is mandatory. The newspaper was published intermittently from 1942–1944. and from 1970–1977. From 1945, it began to be published under the Russian name On guard of October. Since 3 July 1992 it has been published under the title On guard.

Band Service and Exemplary Band

The Exemplary Band of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was founded on 20 July 1945 as a military band of the 21st Motorized Rifle Detachment of the Ministry of State Security. Known informally as the Belpolk Band, it was considered to be one of the more prestigious of its kind and often won contests of military bands. On 28 April 1995, the band was re-branded as its current name. Colonel Nikolai Zharko became the first artistic director and chief conductor of the band. Its first concert took place on the first Day of the Militia parade on 4 March 1995 at October Square. It often is notably present as part of a joint band of the Minsk Garrison during the Minsk Independence Day Parade. It is also part of the Military Band Service of Internal Troops of Belarus. The band is currently led by Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kalinin while the service is led by Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Solodukhin.