Council of Europe Commissioner: “Cases of abducted in Belarus have no statutory limitations”

Investigation of the cases of abductions and disappearances could be conducted any time.

Last year the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg offered to set up an independent commission which would be able to investigate the cases of disappearances of Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski and Dzmitry Zavadski objectively, “Narodnaya Volya” writes.

“Even the oldest cases related to violent death of people, must be investigated,” Hammarberg says. “If the Belarusian authorities cannot investigate these cases objectively, there is always a possibility to create an international independent commission which would be able to deal with it.”

Scandalous disappearances happened in Belarus more than 10 years ago. For all that time the authorities have been pretending that investigation of these cases was under way, at least, succinct reports about extending the term of investigation are made regularly. But the bodies of Zakharanka, Hanchar, Krasouski and Zavadski have not been found yet, and those guilty of their death have not been punished. An independent commission creation is being discussed for many years too. Why A. Lukashenka stubbornly refuses to invite international experts, which would possibly accelerate the investigation?

- I am not trying to guess why the government takes this or that decision, -- Thomas Hammarberg said to “Narodnaya Volya”. – I am interested by the result. Recommendations from our side are not convenient for the Belarusian government, as they attract attention to the problems they do not want to touch upon. We can certainly go on asking or even demanding to carry out an objective investigation of the disappearances. But the longer it drags on, the more persistent the impression is that the Belarusian authorities want to avoid investigation of these cases or to conceal something.

But I am not going to do guess-work. I can say only one thing: our position remains the same. We won’t give up, especially in the questions concerning the disappearances.

When a loved one disappears, it is worse than tortures for their families. As even after many years, when bodies and graves are not found, a last hope remains still: what if he could be found somewhere abroad, or maybe he is somewhere in prison?.. Relatives do not receive clear information about their loved ones. They live in constant doubts. Forcible abductions and absence of information about what had happened are violations of human rights. In the European practice the principle of statutory limitations is not applied to forcible abductions of people. And investigation could be conducted any time. No matter how much time would pass…