Several dozens former Chairmen and senior officers of the KGB of Belarus have been included in the
sanctions lists of the
European Union and the
United States, especially following the brutal crackdown of peaceful protests that followed the allegedly falsified presidential elections of
2006 and
2010. Against most of them, the sanctions have been lifted in 2016 following an improvement of
Belarus–European Union relations. On 2 October 2020, the European Union added former chairman of the KGB
Valery Vakulchik, as well as the Deputy Chairmen, to its sanctions list. On 6 November, Chairman
Ivan Tertel was sanctioned by the EU as well. These people are also subject to the restrictive measures by the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Canada. The
KGB Alpha Group was placed under US Treasury Department sanctions for their role in suppressing the
2020-21 protests. On 21 June 2021, the
U.S. Treasury has added the KGB of Belarus and its Chairman Ivan Tertel to its
Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List with the following motivation: The State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian KGB) has continually pressured and targeted the opposition in the aftermath of the fraudulent 2020 election. The Belarusian KGB has detained, intimidated, and otherwise pressured the opposition, to include
Pratasevich. In November 2020, the Belarusian KGB added Pratasevich and another opposition journalist to its list of terrorists. In 2022, the KGB and Tertel were included in the sanctions lists of the European Union, the United States, Switzerland and Japan, while Ukraine blacklisted only Tertel. In January 2025, Canada joined the sanctions against the KGB.
KGB officers sanctioned by the EU or the US Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen • Stepan Sukhorenko, Chairman of the KGB in 2005–2007, including during the
2006 Belarusian presidential election. On EU sanctions list in 2006–2016; remains under sanctions by the
United States. •
Vadim Zaitsev, Chairman of the KGB. According to the decision of the
European Union, he is “responsible for transforming the KGB into the main organ of repression of civil society and of the democratic opposition” and for state propaganda accusing the protesters of bringing weapons to their rally.” According to the EU, Zaitsev “personally threatened the lives and health of the wife and child of former
presidential candidate,
Andrei Sannikov. He is the main initiator of orders for unlawful harassment of democratic opposition, the
torture of political opponents and the mistreatment of prisoners.” • Vasili Dementey, former First deputy Chairman of the KGB (2005–2007); responsible for repressions against civil society and the democratic opposition, in particular after
the presidential election of 2006 and in 2007. • Viktor Vegera, First Deputy Chairman of the KGB. • Leonid Dedkov, Deputy Chairman of the KGB. • Nikolai Smolenski, former Deputy Chairman of the KGB. • Nikolai Svorob, former Deputy Chairman of the KGB. • Petr Tretiak, former Deputy Chairman of the KGB and Member of the Commission of the Security Council on radio frequencies. •
Ivan Tertel, Deputy Chairman of the KGB, in charge of economic crime and the fight against corruption.
Torture • Colonel Aleksandr Orlov, head of the
KGB detention centre in Minsk: according to the EU, he was personally responsible for "cruel,
inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment of detainees" in the weeks and months after the crackdown on the protests in Minsk on 19 December 2010, on the eve of the
2010 presidential election. He has been on EU sanctions list between 2011 and 2016. • Colonel Oleg Chernyshev; he allegedly personally participated in tortures of opposition activists in the
KGB detention centre in
Minsk after the crackdown on the
post-election protest demonstration in
Minsk on 19 December 2010. • Lieutenant Colonel Dmitri Sukhov, operative of the military counter-intelligence of the KGB; accused of falsifying evidence and using threats in order to extort confessions from detained opposition activists in the
KGB detention centre in Minsk after the crackdown on the
post-election protest demonstration in Minsk on 19 December 2010. • Lieutenant Colonel Pavel Traulko, former operative of the military counter-intelligence of the KGB, then head of the press service of the newly formed
Investigative Committee of Belarus. He is accused of falsifying evidence and using threats in order to extort confessions from opposition activists in the KGB detention centre in Minsk
after 19 December 2010. According to the EU, he was directly responsible for the use of “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment and for denying the right to a fair trial”.
Sector (Board) commanders • Viktor Yaruta, Head of the KGB Board on State Communications • Valeri Maslakov, Head of the KGB Board of Intelligence • Sergei Shugaev, Head of the KGB Counter-Intelligence Division and former Deputy Head of the KGB Counter-Intelligence Board • Ivan Sanko, Major, senior investigator of the KGB • Aleksandr Tolstashov, Head of the KGB Board on Protection of the Constitutional Order and Fight Against Terrorism • Igor Voropaev, former Head of the KGB Board on State Communications • Sergei Volkov, former Head of the KGB Board of Intelligence • Alexey Zakharov, former Head of Military Counter-intelligence Board of the KGB
Regional commanders In 2011, commanders of the KGB in the regions of Belarus were accused by the EU of being responsible for political repressions in their regions: • Igor Busko, Head of the KGB of the
Brest Region • Gennadi Gerasimenko, former Head of the KGB of the
Vitebsk Region • Vladimir Kalach, Head of the KGB of the
Minsk Region and the city of
Minsk, former Deputy Head of the KGB for Minsk • Ivan Korzh, Head of the KGB of the
Hrodna Region • Igor Kuznetsov, former Head of the KGB in the
Minsk Region and in
Minsk city • Ivan Leskovski, Head of the KGB for
Homel and former Deputy Head of the KGB for Homel •
Igor Sergeenko, Head of the KGB of the City District of
Mahiliou ==International activity==