Germany investigates ex-Belarus prison warden for crimes against humanity – BelPol
Rally at German embassy in Warsaw, October 4, 2025
December 15, Pozirk. The German Federal Criminal Police are investigating possible involvement into crimes against humanity by former Belarusian prison warden Dźmitryj Šynvize, the BelPol resistance group reports, citing a response received from the German Ministry of Justice.
Šynvize, who was a unit commander at Babrujsk’s Penal Colony No. 2, reportedly moved to Germany based on his German ancestry and likely lives under the name Dimitri Schönwiese in Schwerin.
Despite testimony-based suspicions that Šynvize was involved in the torture and ill-treatment of jailed Belarusian dissidents, he was allowed to relocate to Germany without facing any legal consequences for his actions, BelPol noted.
Two months ago, former designated political prisoner Aleh Kuleša told a rally in Warsaw that Šynvize forced inmates who were advised against manual labor for health reasons to do hard work. The warden reportedly identified himself as Russian and required Kuleša, a Belarusian speaker, to speak Russian.
