OSCE experts arrive to Minsk tomorrow

OSCE forensics experts will arrive to Belarus on October 26 for studying the materials of the inquiry by the public prosecutor into the death of Belarusian opposition journalist and human rights activist Aleh Byabenin (Oleg Bebenin).

“An official confirmation has been received that two OSCE experts will arrive for examination of documents concerning the death of Aleh Byabenin on October 26,” “Interfax-Zapad” agency was informed on Monday by the prosecutor’s office of Minsk region.

The prosecutor’s office specified that “2 OSCE experts from Norway and Denmark arrive. One is a coroner, and the other is a forensics analyst.”

A coordinator of “European Belarus” civil campaign, a friend and a colleague of Aleh Byabenin, Zmitser Bandarenka, in an interview to “Radio Svaboda” stated that it is still unknown to him what experts would be responsible for the case of the journalist.

“I do not know who and when will arrive, and whether they will talk to us. If they meet with us, only then I would have a chance to say something definite: are they serious people, or is it an attempt to umbrella the Lukashenka’s regime during the election campaign.”

The founder and editor of charter97.org website Aleh Byabenin was found hanged on September 3 in his summer house on the outskirts of Minsk. Law-enforcing agencies hastily stated that it had been suicide. However Aleh Byabenin’s death raises many questions. Forensic experts are offering different dates of the journalist’s death. Aleh Byabenin had not left any suicide note. Friends and colleagues of the journalist state that there were marks of violence on his body. Aleh Byabenin was a key member in the team of the oppositional presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov.