The trial of a German involved in the death of more than 230 children has begun in Belarus

The first posthumous trial of a German officer accused of genocide of the Belarusian people has begun in Belarus. This was announced today, January 26, by the Prosecutor General's Office of the republic.

We are talking about SS man Hans Eugen Siegling. According to the state prosecutor Kalina Goroshko, "this criminal case is the first case in which one of the Nazi criminals, German officers, a German by nationality, was charged as part of the proceedings." She recalled that earlier cases had been considered against Nazi accomplices who escaped punishment during their lifetime.

"I would like to note that the Supreme Court has already decided five convictions, which convicted members of the Belarusian and Ukrainian collaborationist units, the so—called Nazi accomplices, on the fact of genocide," the state prosecutor said.

It is reported that Hans Siegling, an officer of the Wehrmacht accused of genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War, was charged with the murder of at least 1.7 thousand people, including 238 children. He was charged with 13 counts of genocide.

"Executing the criminal orders of the higher leadership, he personally, as well as together with the members of the criminal formations headed by him — the Ukrainian police company and the 57th battalion of the security police, as well as together with the members of the special battalion SS Dirlewanger — carried out punitive operations on the territory of Minsk, Grodno and Brest regions, during which he committed a number of murders, mostly mass, accompanied by special cruelty, inhumanity, ruthlessness... Thus at least 1,706 people, including 238 young children, were deprived of their lives. Among the victims were people in a helpless state, the elderly, who could not offer active resistance.… 11 settlements were completely or partially burned, three of them have not been restored. In addition, in the course of punitive operations and actions, Siegling and members of organized criminal groups led by them plundered the property of civilians, agricultural products, livestock, poultry, thereby depriving people of the most minimal needs. Accordingly, they condemned people to starvation," the prosecutor said.

It should be reminded that a criminal case on the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War has been under investigation in Belarus over the past few years. Only Russia is actively helping the Belarusian side in this process.