Belarus KGB investigates rumours of new Chernobyl accident

Minsk, Jun 09, 2005 -- BBC Monitoring

The Belarusian KGB is investigating the National Liberation Army, which, according to information posted on the Internet, claimed responsibility for an alleged new accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station [in Ukraine] in late May.

"We are very concerned by these rumours and we already know the source of the information posted on the Internet. We are investigating it," the first deputy head of the KGB, Vasil Dzemyantsey, told journalists today. "It is hard to say how serious the goals of those who distributed this information were," he said.

He did not rule out further manifestations of information terrorism in Belarus. "The KGB is very concerned by a variety of rumours which have been recently spreading in Belarus (another Chernobyl accident, AIDS infected injections in Minsk and Brest)," he said.

"Although the rumours have not been confirmed, criminal cases have been opened," he said.

In late May, several Belarusian web sites ran stories about increased radiation levels due to an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This information was dismissed by state agencies as false. However, several days later several media outlets received e-mail messages from an organization calling itself the National Liberation Army which claimed responsibility for the new accident in Chernobyl. This organization had never been heard of previously.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1246 gmt 9 Jun 05

BBC Mon KVU 090605 em

News Provided By