Gennady Davydko

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Gennady Bronislavovich Davydko

| image = Hienadź Davydźka.png

| native_name = Генадзь Давыдзька
Генна́дий Давы́дько

| birth_place = Senno, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union

| office = Chairman of the BTRC

| term_start = 2010

| term_end = 2018

| president = Alexander Lukashenko

| predecessor = Alexander Zimovsky

| successor = Ivan Eismont

{{Cite web|url=http://eng.belta.by/president/view/lukashenko-appoints-new-heads-of-belarus-central-mass-media-109057-2018|title=Lukashenko appoints new heads of Belarus' central mass media|date=6 February 2018|publisher=BelTA}}

| prior_term =

| office2 = Member of the House of Representatives of Belarus

| term_start2 = November 16, 2004

| term_end2 = October 18, 2012

| president2 = Alexander Lukashenko

| predecessor2 =

| birth_date = September 29, 1955 (68 years old)

| office1 = Leader of Belaya Rus

| termend1 = June 18, 2022

| termstart1 = January 19, 2018

| predecessor1 = Alexander Radkov

| successor1 = Oleg Romanov

| party = Belaya Rus

}}

Gennady Davydko ({{langx|ru|Генна́дий Бронисла́вович Давы́дько}}, {{langx|be|Генадзь Браніслававіч Давыдзька}}, Hienadz Davydzka) is a Belarusian politician and TV propagandist, included in the sanctions list of the European Union in 2011 - 2016.

Biography

Gennady Davydko was born in Sianno, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (now Belarus).

He grew up in the Russian Far East. He graduated from the Far Eastern Pedagogical Institute of Arts in Vladivostok, Russia as a drama producer, and from the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. He started his career at the Maxim Gorky Drama Theatre in Orenburg, Russia.

After military service, he worked as an actor in the Vincent Dunin-Marcinkievich Drama and Comedy Theatre in Mahiliou.

In 1981 Davydko became an actor at the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theatre in Minsk. In 1997 later became the theatre's director. During his career, Davydko played minor roles in several Russian and Belarusian movies.

From 2004 till 2012 Davydko was member of the lower house of the parliament of Belarus. The parliamentary elections of 2004 and 2008 were not recognized as free and fair by the OSCE, the United States and the European Union.

Davydko is{{when|date=August 2022}} also an advisor on cultural issues and co-chair of the Listapad Film Festival.

Since December 28, 2010, Davydko was chairman of the National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus. As head of the state television, Davydko personally read the background text in a widely known propaganda film denigrating the democratic opposition.{{cite web|url=https://nn.by/?c=ar&i=137892|title=Князь Вітаўт з Калымы: гісторыя поспеху (ці падзення) Генадзя Давыдзькі|last=Marcinovich|first=Jahor|date=4 January 2015|publisher=Nasha Niva|language=Belarusian|accessdate=5 November 2017}} In 2014 he was the head of professional jury who selected the artists and songs for national selection of an entrant to Eurovision Song Contest 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvr.by/eng/company/about_eurovision_2014_national_auditions/|title=About Eurovision 2014 national auditions|publisher=Belteleradiocompany|date=26 November 2013}}

In January 2018 he was elected the head of Belarusian public association Belaya Rus.{{Cite web|url=http://eng.belta.by/society/view/davydko-elected-belaya-rus-chairman-108525-2018/|title=Davydko elected Belaya Rus chairman|publisher=BelTA|date=19 January 2018}} In February 2018, Davydko ceased to be a state television chairman and was appointed to the Council of the Republic instead.{{Cite web |url=https://news.tut.by/economics/580373.html#tw |title=Глава «Белой Руси» Геннадий Давыдько назначен сенатором |access-date=2020-02-20 |archive-date=2020-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027064449/https://news.tut.by/economics/580373.html#tw |url-status=dead |language=ru |publisher=Tut.By}}

In 2019, he was again elected to the House of Representatives.{{Cite web |url=http://rec.gov.by/sites/default/files/pdf/2019/itog_7.pdf |title=Сведения о результатах голосования по г. Минску |access-date=2020-02-20 |archive-date=2020-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930190020/http://rec.gov.by/sites/default/files/pdf/2019/itog_7.pdf |url-status=dead |language=ru |publisher=Central Election Commission of Belarus }}

Accusations, EU sanctions

In 2011, after the wave of repressions that followed the 2010 presidential election, Davydko and several other top managers and employees of major state media became subject to an EU travel ban and asset freeze as part of a sanctions list of 208 individuals responsible for political repressions, electoral fraud and propaganda in Belarus.[https://nn.by/?c=ar&i=61552 Поўны спіс 208 беларускіх чыноўнікаў, якім забаронены ўезд у ЕС] - Nasha Niva, 11.10.2011 The sanctions were lifted in 2016.{{cite web|author=Денис Лавникевич|title=Батьке простили старые грехи|url=https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2016/02/15_a_8075585.shtml|publisher=Gazeta.Ru|date=2016-02-15|accessdate=2021-09-10|language=ru}}

According to the EU Council's decision,[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2012/642/oj Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP of 15 October 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Belarus] Gennady Davydko was "responsible for promoting state propaganda on TV, propaganda which supported and justified the repression of the democratic opposition and of civil society after the elections in December 2010. Democratic opposition and civil society are systematically highlighted in a negative and derogatory way using falsified information."

On 21 June 2021, Davydko was sanctioned again by the EU.{{cite news|title=Хто ў чацьвёртым пакеце санкцыяў Эўразьвязу. Поўны сьпіс |newspaper=Радыё Свабода |url=https://www.svaboda.org/a/31318409.html|publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=2021-06-10|accessdate=2021-09-10|lang=be|last1=Свабода |first1=Радыё }} He was later sanctioned by Switzerland[https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/en/home/Aussenwirtschaftspolitik_Wirtschaftliche_Zusammenarbeit/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/exportkontrollen-und-sanktionen/sanktionen-embargos/sanktionsmassnahmen/suche_sanktionsadressaten.html Searching for subjects of sanctions] and specially designated by the US.{{Cite web|url=https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0315|title=Treasury Holds the Belarusian Regime to Account on Anniversary of Fraudulent Election|website=|date=2021-08-09|publisher=designated|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809161340/https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0315|archivedate=2021-08-09|accessdate=2021-08-10|url-status=live}}