Lukashenka: Hanchar wasn’t an oppositionist at all

In an interview to Lithuanian mass media Lukashenka defends those who abducted Belarusian oppositionists.

The website of the civil campaign “European Belarus” offers a passage from Lukashenka’s interview to Lithuanian mass media on air of Lietuvos rytas TV Company.

- Mr President, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski, Zmitser Zavadski, Yury Zakharanka are the names of politicians and journalists who have gone missing in Belarus, but the guilty haven’t been found yet.

- Why are you calling somebody a criminal without a trial? You are a representative of a democratic society, so you should understand that a criminal is a criminal after a court decision. Neither yours court nor ours – and it should be our court – has adopted such a decision.

- But anyway, you are to hear these names in Vilnius. What would be your answer?

- You know, I have heard these names so many times over the years, and the answer is simple. Knowing that you are such ardent democrats, I requested some information. And I advise you to have such figures concerning Lithuania when I arrive to Lithuania. The number of missing persons in Belarus since 1991 is 2,289. Unfortunately, 2,289 persons are unaccounted-for in our country.

- Yes, but we are speaking bout high-ranking politicians.

- Listen to me. We do not have high-ranking politicians. Moreover, they really did not have any rank. 718 persons have been found over the 8 months of this year. 1,600 persons are reported to be missing each year. 900 persons are found each year, which is less unfortunately. It makes hundreds thousands people in Russia, dozens thousands in Ukraine. I advise you to how many persons are missing in your country, how many are found and so on. All these people are equal for me. You call them high-ranking politicians. I do not think so. They are usual people, and it is absolutely unclear how could they be high-ranking? Is it because of their position? They were not occupying any positions. They were in my government. Viktar Hanchar was a vice prime minister, then he kissed good-buy and quitted. I do not know what bearing does Krasouski has to that, as you say. Krasouski didn’t have any rank. Zmitser Zavadski was a cameraman who worked with me. I do not understand what relation does he have to politics at all? You have guys who are cameramen, do they pursue any policy? What harm could they do, and especially to the president? Well, the president might be guilty, he might be guilty almost of these people’s disappearances, let us say that. But what's Zmitser Zavadski and Viktar Hanchar got to do with it? We were together with this man, we were friends. Krasouski or Krasutski? Krasouski a businessman, isn’t he? I have never seen him, never heard about him, I learnt about him only when this man disappeared somewhere. A former minister Zakharanka. Zakharanka had a business in Ukraine. Just study this question if you are interested. He had some debts, he was warned to be careful. It was not me who warned him, he was warned by people from the Interior Ministry. No, I have a business! He had millions’ debts. And we are studying this version. We do not discard any of versions. And the most important thing is, you must know that, we saw someone in one of the countries. And we made a request for information immediately. He is missing, and he is walking in the streets in your country. There were photos and newspaper articles there, not in our country. The information hasn’t been provided to us still. You know, it’s a whole complex of questions. And the most important thing is that neither relatives nor families are giving us support to establish the truth. Everything is politicized. An interview needed? A wife, a son, a relative, a daughter is taken to Moscow, to Lithuania, anywhere. All this is used purposefully against Lukashenka. If you want to use that, you are welcome. I just underline that I have become used to that. To these attacks. It is my problem certainly that we have so many people missing, but you have no less. It is a problem of any county, and I do not take apart high-ranking politicians. They all had the same level here. And they were not oppositionists, by the way.

- Viktar Hanchar was an oppositionist.

- Viktar Hanchar? Oh, how could he be an oppositionist?! He worked for anyone who paid money, how could you say that. I know Viktar better than you. And moreover, these claims by relatives: where is my husband, my son and so on. It is me who is to ask the family: where is your husband, your son? Why haven’t you kept an eye on him when he wasn’t missing? Why haven’t you paid attention? When he went missing, it has become politics and a way of earning for them. We know that very well. So no need to make this politics. No need to base politics against Lukashenka and his country on this people’s grief. Please don’t, that won’t bring you success. Believe me, a person who knows a little about this process is before you. I won’t speak concretely, but I know very well what’ s going on. But I am surprised by one thing: you are actively fighting against Russian reality, and you are raising this issue both in Moscow and in Vilnius, actively but balancedly? And I know who’s behind that, so if you want to speak about that, I would be glad to discuss the topic, but let us speak kindly, without any reproaches and so on. Do you want to know about the stage of this process? Please address prosecutor general, he is responsible for this case. This issue is controlled by the president, he given me information regularly, about what has been done recently, like in many other important issues which are politicized.