Belarus Says Its Embassy in UK Has Been Attacked, One Diplomat Seriously Wounded

Minsk has summoned the British charge d'affaires and demanded a thorough investigation after an assault in London.

A Belarusian diplomat was seriously injured after the country's embassy in London was attacked on Sunday, 19 December, the news agency Belta reported on Monday, citing the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

"At first, a group of people damaged the facade of the embassy building, and then physically attacked the Belarusian diplomats who arrived at the scene. One of the diplomats suffered serious injuries and required urgent medical attention. He was diagnosed with a broken nose, mild concussion, and a tooth fracture", an official statement read.

Reports suggested that some of the attackers were detained by the Metropolitan Police when they attempted to flee the scene of the incident. According to reports, the suspects are part of a Belarusian immigrant group in the UK.

"It has been established that the people [who attacked the embassy] are presumably included in the radical emigre group Nadzeya", the ministry said.

After the incident, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry summoned the UK charge d'affaires in Minsk and requested that the British authorities conduct a proper investigation and charge the perpetrators.