Belarus Protestor Didn’t Kill Himself With Bomb
The Claim
Belarus protestor Aleksandr Taraikovsky accidentally killed himself when an explosive detonated in his hand.
Emerging story
On August 13, 2020, VGTRK Russian news host Olga Skabeyeva said about Taraikovsky: “Truly he died, tragically. And the main stupidity is that this Belarusian tried to throw an explosive device at the OMON (riot police), and this very explosive device detonated right in his hand. That is, he accidentally killed himself.”
The claim, as well as many contesting it, soon went viral on social media.
Misbar’s Analysis
The incident was part of mass protests after what the opposition says was President Alexander Lukashenko’s rigged reelection on August 9, 2020.
While the official report says that Taraikovsky died from his own bomb, many, including his partner Elena German, disagree, stating that his only injury was a wound to his chest. German said: “There is a seam in the chest area – the hole was sewn up, but there is a black bruise; it’s small but we noticed. His hands and feet are completely intact, there are not even bruises. Obviously, it was a shot right in the chest.”
Misbar watched the video of the incident (below. Warning: graphic imagery).
The video shows a bloodied shirt, seemingly from a shotgun wound, and no evidence of an explosive device in his hand.
