Dzmitry Yaŭhienavič Shautsou (Belarusian: Дзмітрый Яўгенавіч Шаўцоў, romanized: Dzmitry Yaŭhienavič Šaŭcoŭ; Russian: Дмитрий Евгеньевич Шевцов, romanized: Dmitry Yevgenyevich Shevtsov; born 3 November 1973) is a Belarusian physician and politician currently serving as head of the Belarus Red Cross since 10 June 2021.
[3] On 10 September 2021, Shautsou was appointed as head of the Belarus Red Cross by the body's presidium, succeeding Volha Myčko [be] after her five-year term expired.
[8] The IFRC launched an investigation into the Belarusian Red Cross for breaches of the federation's principles and urged the group to express further independence from the governments of Belarus and Russia.
[9] On 21 July 2023, Shautsou triggered further controversy by expressing his support for the deployment of nuclear weapons to Belarus, which led to further condemnation by the IFRC.
[10] On 4 October 2023 the IFRC completed its investigation, finding that Shautsou breached the organisation's guidelines, and called for him to be removed by 30 November 2023 under the threat of suspending the BRC's membership.
Shautsou condemned the organisation's suspension, calling it "absolutely politicised" and claiming that he was assisting the safe return of Ukrainian children.
[12] On December 5, 2023, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has added Shautsou to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.