We Remember!

17 years ago politician Viktar Hanchar and businessman Anatol Krasouski irretrievably vanished in Minsk.

17 years ago on September 16, politician Viktar Hanchar and businessman Anatol Krasouski disappeared under unclear circumstances in Minsk.

In the evening of September 16, 1999, Hanchar, who, had initially been in Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s team and helped him to come to power and then went into opposition, and his friend Krasouski came to the bath-house located in 20 Fabrychnaya street in Minsk. They were last seen about 22:35, when they both left the building and got into Krasouski’s Jeep Cherokee.

The Minsk prosecutor's office opened a criminal investigation into Hanchar and Krasouski’s disappearance. According to this investigation, fragments of plastic light signaling devices of the car, its braking tracks and traces of blood were found, when inspecting the surrounding area. A genotype test showed that the origin of the traces of blood from Krasouski is excluded, and the reliability of conclusions that the blood belongs to Hanchar is 99.6%. The analysis of the evidence in the case, including the testimony of witnesses, suggests that Hanchar and Krasouski were forcibly abducted by unknown persons.

Opposition members, relatives of the missing persons and the international community believe that Hanchar and Krasouski were kidnapped for political reasons, and suspect the country's high-ranking officials of involvement in the kidnapping.

The lawyer of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Harry Pahanyajla has repeatedly said that the authorities have no interest in investigation of the case. “It’s not a secret that that wasn’t just a disappearance, Hanchar and Krasouski were killed, – Belaruski Partyzan quotes the human rights activist. – By taking no appropriate steps to investigate the case the authorities demonstrate their involvement in the disappearances of the opposition leaders.

On May 7, 1999, four months before the disappearance of Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski, one more opposition politician, the former Interior Minister Yury Zakharanka, who once was part of the Lukashenka’s team, disappeared in Minsk. A criminal case under the article “deliberate murder” was initiated upon his disappearance, which has not been completed so far.

According to the representatives of the opposition and human rights activists, the real investigation into these high-profile disappearances may be resumed only if the existing power changes.

The sensitivity of the authorities towards any reminding of the missing opponents of the regime speaks for itself.

Thus, September 16, 2009, dozens of Belarusians came to Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk holding portraits of the opposition leaders Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski who were abducted and murdered in Belarus 10 years ago. About 100 riot police officers in uniform and plain clothes acted against the peaceful demonstrators. 35 people were arrested using physical violence. Many of the detainees were later brutally beaten up in the police department of Tsentralny district.

However, the actions in memory of the disappeared politicians have continued and will continue. We remember!