Iryna Krasouskaya: “In Belarus people were murdered for their political stand”

“Over the period of 10 years many times we heard different versions of disappearances of oppositionists in Belarus, and the most monstrous of them were originated by Lukashenka,” stated the widow of the abducted businessman and public leader Anatol Krasouski.

This is how Iryna Krasouskaya responded to the reacted statement of Alyaksandr Lukashenka about the disappeared oppositionists.

“If somebody still does not understand anything in the case of abductions and murders of opposition leaders and the journalist in Belarus, they should read the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, prepared by MEP Christos Pourgourides. All the information is there: who kidnapped and murdered and on whose order. My husband and all other oppositionists were assassinated exclusively for their political position, and officials of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s entourage are implicated in that.

As for Belarusian dictator’s insinuations, I would like to give a piece of advice. Lukashenka has made many friends in the West now. If these new friends from Europe want to do something useful for Belarus, they should find money for treatment of the Belarusian dictator in some decent clinic.

Over the period of 10 years many times we heard different versions of disappearances of oppositionists in Belarus, and the most monstrous of them were originated by Lukashenka. I do not want to waste my energy to comment on the words of the person, who is trying to insult people who are with us no more, and who had been kidnapped and assassinated only for wanting a better life for Belarus,” stated Iryna Krasouskaya, the head of “We Remember” foundation in an interview to the Charter’97 press-centre.

As said by Iryna Krasouskaya, if the recommendations of the PACE resolution and numerous resolutions of the OSCE, the UN Committee on Human Rights, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, on carrying out an investigation of politicians’ disappearances were fulfilled, if the assistance of the US in investigation of these cases was accepted, these would be no need for her to comment on obvious things yet again.

“There is a simple answer to the simple question why it hasn’t been done for 10 years: the truth is not needed by this regime. But the truth exists: it is contained in the report of the MEP Christos Pourgourides, it is the report of General Lapatsik (Lopatik), in the materials of the decision of January 20, 2002 signed by investigator Chumachenka to suspend the preliminary investigation. These are real documents, written and signed by official persons basing upon real facts. These are not fantasies, which are to disappear sooner or later, these documents are the truth about the events which took place 10 years ago. When there is truth, justice is sure to take place. These crimes do not have period of limitation,” added the widow of the abducted businessman and public leader.

As we have informed, in the recent interview to the Russian newspaper ”Zavtra” Alyaksandr Lukashenka stated that the abducted Belarusian opposition leaders were murdered indeed, however not on his order, but allegedly “on the grounds of commerce”.

“Three persons have perished, and mass media are still repeating this. Lukashenka has killed them as opponents of the regime. In fact, in two cases these were murders for commercial reasons, they had promised to buy or to sell something and failed to stick to their promises, so they were killed, as it is usual in half-bandit circles. Traces of a murderer have been recently found in Germany. Or Zmitser Zavadsky from the First Channel. How could he be an opponent to me, he is a person with a secondary education.

Why should I have killed him? Do you want to know the truth about that? There was a para-military group in Belarus, it was headed by some person Ihnatovich. They were well-trained guys from the task forces (spetsnaz) of the USSR. They went to Chechnya during the war and were fighting on the side of Moscow. They were climbing mountains, waiting in ambush, browbeating separatists. It was a very strong support group. They fought and returned home. Sharamet and Zavadsky came to them to make an item for Russian TV. It was said in the item that these Belarusian citizens are fighting on the side of Chechen separatists against federal troops. An interview of Ihnatovich was taken, and then they said he was fighting against Russians. Sharamet managed to wiggle out of the situation, while Zavadsky was caught. First some man-to-man showdown started: “Why have you said lies about us?” And they killed Zavadsky. Ihnatovich was sentenced to life and stays in our colony. The cameraman was killed, and this provocateur Sharamet is sitting in Moscow and writing all sort of nasty things bout Belarus,” Lukashenka said.

In 1999–2000, Viktar Hanchar, first vice speaker of the 13th Supreme Council of Belarus and head of the Central Electoral Commission; businessman and public figure Anatol Krasouski; former interior minister and opposition politician Yury Zakharanka; ORT TV channel cameraman Zmitser Zavadski disappeared in Belarus. Nothing is known about the fate of these people.

The international community calls to find out further fate of the disappeared Belarusian oppositionists. Resolutions of UN Human Rights Commission, Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe and the OSCE urge to reveal the truth about the disappearances.

A number of Belarusian high-ranking officials, in particular the former minister of internal affaires Uladzimir Navumau, former head of the president’s administration Viktar Sheiman, former minister of internal affaires Yury Sivakou, and former commander of special task squad Dzmitry Paulichenka are banned from entry into the EU countries and the US, because they are suspected of involvement in kidnapping of the oppositionists.

Lukashenka calls Valery Ihnatovich (Ignatovich) and his band “well-trained guys from the task forces (spetsnaz) of the USSR.” In reality, Ihnatovich was an officer of “Almaz” special unit of the Belarusian Interior Ministry. Ihnatovich’s group included several more acting and retired officers of “Almaz” and other special troops.