Zinaida Hanchar: “Lukashenka’s each word is a mass of lies”

The wife of Viktar Hanchar has commented on the recent statements by Lukashenka about abducted oppositionists in Belarus.

“It is hard to comment on Lukashenka’s statements, as it is raving. His statement that Viktar Hanchar was not an oppositionist is foolishness. In general, his every word is nothing but lies. We have been demanding authorities to carry out investigation and found those guilty of abductions of opposition leaders. The report with the names of people who are implicated in the abductions and murder of Hanchar, Krasouski, Zakharanka, was written by a worker of the Interior Ministry of Belarus, General Lapatsik. It was he who told the names of the culprits: Paulichenka, Navumau, Sheiman, Sivakou. The authorities should interrogate General Lapatsik, a former prosecutor Bazhelka, a former KGB chairman Matskevich. All of them are real people, and they said that Lukashenka is behind these abductions,” stated Zinaida Hanchar in an interview to www.charter97.org website.

As said by the wife of the disappeared Vice Speaker of the Supreme Soviet, she is surprised by “knowledge” of the Belarusian leader.

“Moreover, I am surprised by Lukashenka’s statements, that he knows about what had happened to the disappeared. Today I have received another non-committal reply from the prosecutor’s office of Minsk signed by prosecutor Kulik, that informs that “at the moment investigative activities and special investigation activities are carried out in this case”. Wouldn’t it ne easier for the prosecutor’s office to ask Lukashenka where are Hanchar and Krasouski, to ask the person who knows everything. Please answer where the missing persons are, what has happened to them, and who is implicated in that?” Zinaida Hanchar asks.

The wife of the abducted politician informed that yesterday she and Volha Zavadskaya, the mother of Zmitser Zavadski, who went missing in Belarus, held a press-conference in the Seimas of Lithuania. Audronius Ažubalis, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Lithuanian parliament took part in the press-conference as well.

“The situation with abductions of oppositionists in Belarus has aroused much interest of Lithuanian mass media. Many journalists attended the press-conference. We told the facts we know about the official investigation, and that the authorities are doing next to nothing in this area. We reminded that we have written letters to presidents of the US, Germany, Russia and the prime minister of Sweden with a request to give consideration t the problem of politically motivated abductions in Belarus, and use all means of influence on the Belarusian authorities, to make them fulfil commitments to citizens and international community and carry out independent investigation of the cases of abducted oppositionists. In case no positive actions would be made by the Belarusian authorities, we call upon initiating an international investigation of these crimes.

At the press-conference we have once again voiced our protest to the visit of Lukashenka to Lithuania. We still do not know the causes of this visit. None of the demands of the European Union to the Belarusian authorities has been fulfilled. The position of the European Union is not understandable for us, and all this is insulting for us, relatives of the abducted oppositionists,” Zinaida Hanchar said.

The wife of Viktar Hanchar has also noted that the families of the disappeared hadn’t received an answer to their letter to Dalia Grybauskaitė with an appeal not to invite Lukashenka to Vilnius. It was stated in the letter that there are “serious proofs about involvement of high ranking officials to the crimes” and about the fact “the Belarusian authorities demonstrate their unwillingness to investigate the cases objectively and ignore numerous demands of the Belarusian and world community”.

We remind that in an interview to Lithuanian mass media Lukashenka answered questions about political kidnappings in Belarus. He defended officials who are suspects in these crimes, saying that “a criminal is called a criminal after a court decision. Neither yours court nor ours – and it should be our court – has adopted such a decision.”

Speaking about Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski’s abductions, Lukashenka said: “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.”