Igor Shunevich

Igor Anatolievich Shunevich (also transliterated as Ihar Shunevich; born 27 March 1967) is a Ukrainian-born Belarusian politician and policeman. He most notably served as Minister of Internal Affairs from 2012 until 2019. Born in the Luhansk Oblast, Shunevich moved to Belarus to attend the Minsk Higher School of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, where he graduated in 1992. Afterward, he rose through the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs until 2007, when he transferred to the KGB. In the KGB he headed a variety of departments until 2012 when he was transferred back to the ministry under Viktor Lukashenko, who he was generally considered a protégé of. On 11 May 2012 he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs, a position he held until 10 June 2019. During his tenure, he was praised for his attempts to combat corruption and enforcement of harsher anti-drug laws. However, his remarks were often strongly condemned, as he made repeated homophobic statements that drew outrage, approved of raids against the Romani community following the death of a police officer, and praised the NKVD by saying that people should remember their officer's service. He was repeatedly described as one of the few politicians who were openly criticized, with his ministry reaching the lowest trust rating out of any ministry during his tenure. After his resignation as minister, he worked for HC Dinamo Minsk until 2021 when he was appointed Chairman of the Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen.