166 Previously Unknown Sites of Genocide Victims Discovered In Belarus

In Belarus, an investigation into the genocide of the Belarusian people continues. To date, two fascist collaborators have already been sentenced by the Supreme Court. Currently, the case against Semen Serafimovich is being considered. He is accused of having the blood of over four thousand individuals on his hands, including 626 children. The verdict in this case is expected to be announced on March 28.

During the course of the investigation, the investigative group of the General Prosecutor's Office has uncovered 166 previously unknown sites of extermination and burial of genocide victims, with more than half of them being mass graves. Excavations have been conducted at nearly one hundred previously unknown sites, the results of which have, in most cases, confirmed the tragic chapters of history—human bone remains have been found.

Mikhail Shestopalov, Deputy Prosecutor of the Minsk Region, stated: "A tremendous amount of work is being carried out, and ultimately, this has become a nationwide project, involving not only law enforcement agencies but also the public, government bodies, and the journalistic community. We will continue excavations and search efforts until we recover the remains of the last person."

During World War II, a total of 187 "pacification" operations were conducted in Belarus. The standard scenario adopted by Nazi war criminals and their accomplices involved the destruction of villages along with their inhabitants as part of these so-called "pacification" actions. In total, at least 187 such punitive operations were carried out, representing one of the most extensive acts of terror in human history.