Eduard Lobau

Eduard Anatolievič Lobaŭ (Belarusian: Эдуард Анатолевіч Лобаў; 1 December 1988 – 26 January 2023) was a Belarusian pro-democracy activist associated with the Young Front. He was imprisoned by the government of Belarus for his protest activities. Amnesty International considered him a prisoner of conscience, neo-nazi, Belarusian nationalist[2][3]

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions, the patronymic is Anatolievič and the family name is Lobaŭ.

Eduard Lobau
Эдуард Лобаў
Born(1988-12-01)1 December 1988[1]
Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR, USSR
Died26 January 2023(2023-01-26) (aged 34)
Vuhledar, Ukraine
NationalityBelarusian
OccupationDemocracy activist
OrganizationYoung Front
Known for2010 arrest

Activism

On 19 December 2010, following Belarus's disputed presidential election—in which pro-democracy opposition candidate Andrei Sannikov lost to Lukashenko, often called "Europe's last dictator"[4]—a number of opposition protesters took to the streets.[3]

In the week leading up to the protest, Lobau took an active role in organization. On 15 December, he was arrested and briefly detained along with two other Young Front activists for picketing Lukoshenko's office in Minsk with signs calling for his resignation.[5] According to Amnesty International, the day before the protests, Lobau was reportedly assaulted by unknown attackers and immediately arrested by police, along with Zmitser Dashkevich, Young Front's leader.[6] He was convicted of attacking his assailants and sentenced to four years in a labour colony in Ivatsevichy.[6][7] On 31 August 2011, he refused to file a pardon application.[7]

Imprisonment

Lobau's imprisonment has been protested by human rights organizations including Amnesty International, which named he and Dashkevich prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate release.[8] His case was also "adopted" by German Bundestag member Florian Toncar, deputy chairman of Germany's Free Democratic Party, who denounced his trial and imprisonment as "Stalinist".[6] On 18 December 2014, Lobau was released from prison.[9]

War in Ukraine

Since the summer of 2015, Lobau has been fighting as a volunteer in the war in Donbas. He served in one of the Ukrainian units near Mariupol.[10]

Death

On 26 January 2023, Lobau was killed in action near Vuhledar, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was 34.[11]

Criticism

On February 22, 2023, polish portal the Kresy.pl revealed Eduard Lobau connections with the Ukrainian nationalist and neo-Nazi milieu[2].

According to the data collected by the portal:

On his Vkontakte profile, Lobau posted entries with graphics with neonazi symbols and glorifying the Ukrainian volunteer Waffen-SS division "Galician" and photos in which, among other things, he was holding a red and black Ukrainian Insurgent Army flag, wearing a Stahlhelm helmet with the SS symbol painted on it. Eduard Lobau also published graphics with neo-pagan symbols (including the symbol of the so-called black sun, used by organizations referring to neo-Nazism), and was a fan of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi music band "Sokyra Peruna".

References
  1. "Eduard Lobau". Salidarnasc.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  2. "Na powązkach wojskowych pochowano Białoruskiego neonazistę".
  3. "Further information on UA 264/10 (21 December 2010) and follow-ups (23 December 2010, 12 January 2011, 31 January 2011, 7 March 2011)" (PDF). Amnesty International. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  4. Andrew Osborn (20 December 2010). "Alexander Lukashenko: "Europe's last dictator"". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  5. "Three Belarusian Activists Detained Picketing Presidential Office". Radio Free Europe. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  6. "Prisoner's Godparenthood: Florian Toncar adopts Eduard Lobau". The Baltic Review. 5 July 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  7. "Eduard Lobau refuses to sign pardon petition". Charter 97. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  8. "Three new prisoners of conscience in Belarus". Amnesty International. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  9. "Belarusian Opposition Activist Released After Four Years In Prison". Radio Free Europe. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  10. "Ex-political prisoner: We will help Ukrainians, and Belarus can count on their support in our war". Belsat. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  11. Ва Украіне загінуў беларус-добраахвотнік Эдуард Лобаў (in Belarusian)
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