General Yury Zakharanka abducted 11 years ago

The world suspects high-ranking Belarusian officials of abduction and killing former interior minister of Belarus.

General Yury Zakharanka disappeared on May 7, 1999. witnesss of the abduction, who were found not by investigators, but by a public investigative commission, say Zakharanka was forcefully pushed into a car by some men.

Zakharanka had been fired some years before as he didn’t share point of view of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his supporters. The former minister was respected by his colleagues, he was going to create the Union of Army Officers. His opposition activity was especially dangerous for the authorities.

Many people in Belarus and the world think he was abducted for political reasons and probably killed. The Belarusian authorities say the investigation hasn’t been finished yet, reasons for kidnapping of Zakharanka and his fate remain unknown.

“By these statements the authorities want to report to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The investigation hasn’t progressed. We still don’t hope for changes,” human rights activist Aleh Vouchak says.

The international community thinks high-ranking Belarusian officials, in particular, minister of internal affaires Uladzimir Navumau, former head of the president’s administration Viktar Sheiman, former minister of internal affaires Yury Sivakou, and former commander of special task squad Dzmitry Paulichenka are involved in kidnapping of Yury Zakharanka and other leaders of the Belarusian opposition (vice speaker of the Supreme Council Viktar Hanchar, businessman and public figure Anatol Krasouski, journalsit Zmitser Zavadski).