Belarus, Europe
Belarusian opposition's lobbying rubs European Council the wrong way

Belarus
Belarus KGB steps up attacks on dissidents' armed wing

Minsk's intelligence services have launched a barrage of increasingly sophisticated attacks on Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's government in exile, notably targeting her "defence minister", the KGB's bête noire.

Belarus
Belarusian opposition shaken by infiltration accusations

More powerless than ever against Alexander Lukashenko who has tightened his grip on power following recent events, Belarusian dissidents in exile are facing increasingly detailed accusations of collusion with Minsk intelligence.

United Kingdom
Belarus's Synesis ruling casts shadow on anti-sanctions investigations market

A British court has rejected a request from Belarusian facial recognition software developer Synesis to be delisted, opting to trust state intelligence over proof provided by the claimant. The decision has some sanctioned entities wondering whether it is still useful to hire private investigators at all.

Document | Belarus, European Union
Synesis fights sanctions and informational attacks from Brussels to Warsaw

Bypol, a grouping of anti-Lukashenko law enforcement officers in exile, has intensified its attacks on social media and keeps lobbying in the EU against the Belarusian facial recognition software developer.

United Kingdom
Raedas extends its global client base through hire of star CIS lawyer

The new head of client relations at London investigations firm Raedas will be expected to make use of her connections in regions ranging from Russia to Brazil in order to attract lawyers looking for backup on legal cases.

Belarus
Belarusian 'Bellingcat' caught up in opposing disinformation campaigns

Run by exiled journalist and activist Anton Motolko, the @Hajun_BY Telegram channel gathers information about Russian troop and military hardware movements in Belarus. Used by private sector consultants and the Belarusian opposition alike, the channel has also come under attack from Belarusian intelligence services.

The Corporate Intelligence Village Voice
Royal Navy vet Bennett at Capita, Governances, Gateley Omega, Xirius helps EU

Appointments, financial results, new contracts: each week, we report on events both big and small that matter in the global corporate intelligence community. This week, we go to London, Paris and Brussels.

London Royal Navy vet Bennett's success as defence sector consultant

Paris Governances cuts ties with Lagardère auditor

London Gateley Omega, the investigative arm of Ukrainian recovery fund lawyers

Brussels Maingain helps defend European sanctions

Belarus
Belarusian facial recognition company set to get a hearing before the EU Court of Justice

Belarusian facial recognition firm Synesis has been fighting for 18 months against an EU decision to sanction it for its alleged role in the repression of protests against the election of Alexander Lukashenko in August 2020.

Belarus
Belarus opposition in Warsaw disavowed by Kyiv

The alternative government set up by opponents to the Lukashenko regime is struggling to win the Ukrainian government's confidence. Its shadow defence minister is out of favour in Kyiv in the wake of a failed attempt to lead a battalion of volunteers.

Russia
Siloviki eye facial recognition as potential windfall in their search for funds

With the final touches being put to the 2023 federal budget, Moscow's political class and biometric technology providers are queuing up for the public funds that could be allocated to facial recognition projects.

Belarus
Belarus intelligence spreads fog of war over defectors and prisoners

The Belarusian KGB and ministry of the interior have been using real and fake arrests to spread confusion as it takes a more staunchly pro-Russian line. This is accompanied by attempts to infiltrate opposition movements.

Belarus, European Union, United States
APCO working on both sides of Belarusian unrest

Washington-based lobbying giant APCO just terminated a contract it had just signed with dissident Sviatlana Tskihanouskaya. From Vilnius, she is leading a movement opposing the regime in Minsk. In 2021, APCO briefly represented the opposite side.

Europe
Alexei Oleskin still under threat of EU sanctions in latest Belarusian roulette round

According to our sources, a battle is raging in the Council of the European Union over whom to include on [...]