Bielski Partisans - Allegations of War Crimes

Allegations of War Crimes

Some of the members of the Bielski partisans (but not the Bielski brothers themselves) have been accused of war crimes on the neighbouring population, particularly for alleged involvement in the 1943 Naliboki massacre of 129 people, committed by Soviet partisans. Though some witnesses and some historians do place members of the Bielskis' unit at the massacre, former members of the brigade and other historians, dispute this asserting that the partisans did not arrive in the area until several months later. The Polish Institute of National Remembrance has been investigating the massacre since the early 2000s. As of April 2009, it has not issued official findings. Some historians working at the Institute have asserted in other publications, however, that the Bielski brothers had not been involved in the massacre.