**Former Ukrainian Soldier Extradited to Belarus**
Vasil Verameichyk, a former soldier of the Kalinouski Regiment, was sent back from Vietnam to Belarus last week. The news was reported by the independent outlet Zerkalo on November 20.
Verameichyk is now facing imprisonment because the Supreme Court of Belarus recently called the Kalinouski Regiment a terrorist group.
**Belarus Cracks Down on Support for Ukraine**
The regime in Belarus, led by dictator Alexander Lukashenko, has backed Russia‘s aggression against Ukraine. They have also cracked down on citizens who support Kyiv.
Verameichyk had supported the 2020 protests against electoral fraud in Belarus and then fled to Ukraine. He joined the Kalinouski Regiment at the start of the full-scale war and fought for Ukraine.
**Arrest and Extradition**
According to Belarusian media, Verameichyk was arrested in Vietnam on November 13 and sent back to Belarus the next day.
The Kalinouski Regiment is a group within Ukrainian forces that protects Ukraine from Russian invasion. It’s made up of Belarusian volunteers who joined to fight for Ukraine.
**Supreme Court Decision**
In September, another fighter from the regiment was charged with mercenarism by Russian proxy authorities in occupied Donetsk Oblast.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Alexander Karpovich said that members of the regiment had allegedly recruited and trained “terrorists.” He claimed they were involved in financing “terrorist activities.”
**Belarus Supresses Dissent**
The Belarusian regime suppresses dissent at home using surveillance, violence, and trumped-up charges. They intimidate any opposition with lengthy sentences.
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