Participants of Eastern Partnership Forum: “Suicide story raises serious doubts”

Participants of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum have made a statement regarding the death of charter97.org website founder Aleh Byabenin.

The text of the statement is offered by the website of “European Belarus”.

“We, representatives of the voluntary sector of Belarus, participants of the Eastern Partnership, with much pain regret to learn about the sudden death of our colleague Aleh Byabenin, a well-known campaigner, journalist, founder and editor of one of the important Belarusian independent news websites, charter97.org.

We express our cordial condolences to Aleh’ family and his friends, who have lost their dearest person.

Aleh Byabenin’s death is also a grave loss for all independent organizations, mass media and the journalist community of Belarus.

The circumstances of this tragic event, which have been disclosed in mass media, are very intricate and incomplete, and the suicide story raises serious doubts.

The fact of Aleh’s death demonstrates that the conditions of life and work of independent journalists and public activists in Belarus are highly unfavourable, which places in question an ability of the Belarusian state to develop according to European norms and values.

In this connection we address the authorities of Belarus that are responsible for investigation of this tragedy, with a demand to conduct an unbiased investigative actions as soon as possible; to find out real circumstances of Aleh Byabenin’s death and to inform citizens of Belarus about them.

On behalf of Belarusian organizations of civil society, participants of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Syarhei Matskevich, Speaker of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Vlad Vyalichka, National Coordinator of Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in Belarus