Human rights activists: Charges should be filed against persons appeared in “Godbatka” film

In the new episode of the political series “Godbatka” new information was concerning criminal cases opened in connection with forcible abductions was revealed.

It is referred to the abductions of General Yury Zakharanka, a businessman Anatoly Krasouski, a politician Viktar Hanchar and a cameraman Dzmitry Zavadski.

It was stated that one of the former officers of the Special rapid response detachment A. Vasilyeu allegedly never concealed his personal participation in abduction and murder of Zakharanka, Hanchar, Krasouski and Zavadski. And that a special squad officer Valery Ihnatovich, who was convicted for abduction of Dzmitry Zavadski, a former commander of the military unit 3214 colonel Dzmitry Paulichenka and Vasilyeu are “bound united by blood”. By the way, in the film Paulichenka is called an organizer of the high-profile abductions.

It is informed that once major Vasilyeu was convicted by a Belarusian military court for killing a girl. However it is stated in the film that Vasilyeu was incarcerated mostly for information about the loud disappearances he allegedly had, and not so much for the murder.

It should be noted what is told about Vasilyeu by a former soldier of the military unit 3214 Dzmitry Novichek, who had been also condemned (it is not said exactly why)and who met Vasilyeu in one of the colonies during a walk. As said by Novichek, it is unknown where Vasilyeu is now.

“Narodnaya Volya” asked what the position of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus is: whether a criminal case would be opened against the NTV channel or whether the scandalous video would be entered into the case files.

“I had not been said anything about that, so I cannot comment anything,” said the head of the information and PR department of the General Prosecutor’s Office Pyotr Kisyalyou. “And frankly speaking, there is no possibility to find out on this matter. I have not received any orders about that. I am present at meetings and consultations but nothing of the kind was said.”

As said by Pyotr Kisyalyou, it is not possible to find out anything from the investigator, who is responsible for the cases of forcible abductions.

“If I would be authorized, I will have in view “Narodnaya Volya”, but so fat the General Prosecutor’s Office does not give any comments so far,” Kisyalyou said.

The investigator in particularly important cases of Minsk Prosecutor’s Office Yury Varauka, who is responsible for the case of Zakharanka, Hanchar, Krasouski, does not speak to journalists. A curious detail: recently he received promotion, he is a deputy head of the investigation department of the Prosecutor’s office of Minsk now…

Aleh Vouchak: “Major Vasilyeu should be interrogated..”

A former investigator of the prosecutor’s office Aleh Vouchak believes that the prosecutor’s office should find major Vasilyeu and question him.

- Under the Criminal Procedure Code, if details of committed crimes emerge in mass media, and especially grave crimes, the prosecutor’s office is immediately to take steps and start investigation, Aleh Vouchak said. – To my mind, the investigator, who is in charge of the case of forcible abductions of Zakharanka, Hanchar and Krasouski, now must establish identity of major Vasilyeu; to find out whether he really was one of the commanders of SWAT and an assistant of Dzmitry Paulichenka in physical training, and why he had been convicted. If such person really exists, the investigator must summon him for interrogation. Presently as a witness, naturally.

To my mind, all episodes of the film “Godbatka” should become a part of the materials of the criminal case, as they contain information about possible involvement of the highest officials of Belarus to neutralization of Zakharanka, Hanchar, Krasouski and Zavadski. Having studied information from the series “Godbatka”, the investigator should decide whether it is libel against the top officials or not. And if it would be established that it is not a libel, some of them should be charged with abduction and murder. A third is not given.

It would be impossible in this case to pretend that nothing had happened and no new information had been received. The prosecutor’s office must respond to statements that there is an important witness who had been allegedly personally present during murder of Zakharanka, Hanchar, Krasouski and Zavadski.

By the way, the investigator must also interrogate Dzmitry Novichak, who had told about major Vasilyeu and other details of loud disappearances known to him in front of TV cameras.