Day of Solidarity; Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski disappeared 9 years ago

On September 16, on Solidarity Day and anniversary of disappearance of Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski, an action in memory of disappeared opposition leaders will take place at October square in Minsk.

First vice speaker of the 13th Supreme Council of Belarus, chairman of the Central Election Commission Viktar Hanchar disappeared in Minsk on September 16, 1999. He was returning home with his friend businessman Anatol Krasouski. Later, on the supposed site of kidnapping, Fabrychbaya Street, automobile glass fragments and blood of the kidnapped were found.

In May 1999, Yury Zakharanka, former head of the Ministry of Internal Affaires, who later joined the opposition, disappeared. In summer 2000, ORT television cameraman Zmitser Zavadski disappeared. There’s no information about the destiny of these people.

The international society insists on necessity to shed light to the destiny of the disappeared Belarusian oppositionists. Resolutions of the UN Commission on Human Rights and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the OSCE demand to reveal the truth of their disappearance.

A number of high ranking Belarusian officials, in particular, minister of internal affaires Uladzimir Navimau, head of the presidential administration Viktar Sheiman, former interior minister Yury Sivakou and commander of special troops Dzmitry Paulichenka are banned entry EU countries and the US for suspicion of their involvement in kidnapping of the oppositionists.

Actions of solidarity with relatives of the disappeared politicians and repressed Belarusians have been held in Belarus and all over the world for the third year.

Actions calling to stop repressions against the opposition will be organised in the country and abroad. People in Belarus will light candles of solidarity at home, other people will go to squares to pay tribute to the memory of the repressed and disappeared, and to call on the authorities to democratic reforms in the country.

On September 16, street action of solidarity, confenrences, exhibitions, film presentations dedicated to Belarus are held in many countries of the world – Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Russia, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and the US.

It should be reminded that political prisoners former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin, youth activist Andrei Kim, entrepreneurs’ leader Syarhei Parsyukevich were released from prisons a month ago.

However, there are other people on the list of political prisoners. Alyaksei Bondar, Artsyom Dubski, Mikhal Kryvau, Mikhal Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tishkevich, Mikhal Subash and Paval Vinahradau are sentenced to two years of restraint of liberty without sending them to penal facilities for participation in protest actions of entrepreneurs. Minor Maksim Dashuk sentenced to 1.5 year of restraint of liberty.

An action of solidarity takes place today at October square of Minsk at 6.00 pm. People are going to go to the square carrying portraits of the missing opponents of the regime. Democratic MP candidates will take part in the action.