MINSK. Oct 28 (Interfax) - Over 650 criminal cases have been opened over protests in Belarus, Belarusian Prosecutor General Andrei Shved said on the Belarus-1 television channel.
"More than 400 criminal cases had been opened by early October on counts of mass unrest and violence against law enforcement officers and officials. The number exceeded 500 in the middle of October. There are 657 criminal proceedings now," Shved said.
"In certain cases known to the public the charges brought against the defendants might be changed to terrorism with all that it implies," he said.
The Belarusian Interior Ministry said that everyone who attacked police officers in September had been found.
"For now, we are identifying perpetrators, those who damaged officers' cars (five have been apprehended, among them two coaches, a metro security guard, and an unemployed man) and those who attacked policemen in early September. Everyone has been found, criminal cases have been opened against everyone, and everyone will be held responsible consistent with the law," Belarusian Interior Minister Yury Karayev said on the Belarus-1 television channel on Wednesday.
Karayev promised that the Interior Ministry will also find "those who filled their backpacks and hands." "Obviously, many external actors are making fun of these people, forcing them to act and stupefying them. But we will get everyone who is here," he said.
In the opinion of Karayev, "a secret hybrid war is being fought against the republic and, unfortunately, our citizens are being used as collateral damage."
Protests against the official outcome of the presidential election have been on in Belarus for almost three months. Incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, who had been in office since 1994, was named the winner. Protesters refused to recognize the official election results and claimed the vote had been rigged.