A List of Suspects of Political Murders in Belarus

Now we know.

I was lucky. In the late 1990s, I was an aspiring journalist, a student of the BSU, met Yury Zakharenka, Viktar Hanchar, Henadz Karpenka. I saw them at opposition demonstrations, meetings of the dispersed the Supreme Soviet that did not surrender, had them interviewed, admired their fearless persistence and extraordinary recklessness, optimism and confidence in future victory. I met with a friendly and calm Dzmitry Zavadski who used to have his camera at every opposition rally. The only person I failed to meet personally was Anatol Krasouski.

Later I met his wife Irina Krasovskaya and other widows - Svetlana Zavadskaya, Zinaida Hanchar, Lyudmila Karpenka. There were interviews, but different once: tough, filled with tears, memories, strong pain and nightmares.

For 20 years, the topic of political forced disappearances has been acute for the Charter-97 and other independent media. We seized minor information to learn the truth, understand what had happened to these people - so bright, brave, uncommon and important. There was a lot of evidence from the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Prosecutor General's Office Dzmitry Petrushkevich and Aleh Sluchek (members of the first investigative group). They closed in on high-ranking instigators wearing shoulder straps, former head of Minsk pre-trial detention centre No. 1 Aleh Alkaueu, an employee of the department for protection of the constitutional order and fight against terrorism of Minsk KGB Henadz Uhlianitsa, heads of the "Krai" organization Vadzim Kabanchuk and Andrei Zhernosek. Finally, the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Christos Pourgourides "Missing people in Belarus" was released: Lukashenka and his most trusted law enforcement officers - former Interior Minister Yury Sivakou, Uladzimir Naumau, former Prosecutor General and assistant to Lukashenka on special assignments Viktar Sheiman, as well as SWAT commander Dzmitry Pavlichenka are also involved in the kidnappings of opposition leaders and journalists. This bloody four have fallen under the sanctions of the EU and the U.S. and are subject to them by now.

The unbelievable thing happened: a direct accomplice to the murders appeared. He described in terrible details how extrajudicial executions of the Belarusian opposition leaders occurred in Belarus. He told that to the leading media in Germany, obviously giving testimony to the police and intelligence services in advance, as required by the law in case of refugees' arrival in the country.

I am a refugee and I know all the procedures. Yury Garavski confessed to accessory to the murders - a thing incredible for a refugee. I believe that this information was thoroughly checked by the special services of the country he applied for asylum in and a separate decision was made regarding his communication with the press.

The film of Deutsche Welle is extremely detailed and brings us back to those terrible days of 1999-2000 when Zakharenka, Hanchar, Krasouski and Zavadski disappeared one by one. The previous testimony, except for a few moments, has confirmation: names of the executioners from the "firing squad", the circumstances of the capture of the victims, the method of their murder, the burial places, the names of instigators.

At least, an investigator should talk to each of these people, while a court - Belarusian or international - should decide their fate.

The names:

Aliaksandr Lukashenka

Dzmitry Pavlichenka

Viktar Sheiman

Yury Sivakou

Uladzimir Naumau

Yury Baradach

Siarhei Shkindzerau

Dzmitry Karpovich

Yury Haranski

Aliaksei Rumyantseu

Yury Budzko

Novatorsky

Kozhevnikov

Pankov

Balynin...

... For two days now I have been remembering my last conversations with the kidnapped, all the information I managed to learn from various sources, including from law enforcement agencies (at that time they were even more talkative). I remember myself going to the Northern cemetery with Western journalists and trying to find out how to cover up the bodies of those killed here...

Today I am shocked by something else. This is the reaction of Belarusian journalists from so-called independent media. I know them for a hundred years. They used to write fearless texts and conduct investigations together with us. Most of the Belarusian media switched to some other, secondary topics two days after a sensational testimony of Yury Garavsky. They tried to seek opportunities to refute the obvious; to find a "Russian trace" in a large German media holding or to remember what a wonderful guy suspected of serious crimes Dzmitry Pavlichenka was.

Colleagues, what is wrong with you?! What happened to your conscience? The best representatives of Belarus were kidnapped and killed. It does not matter how many years have passed. Finally, we have a real chance to learn the truth and hold murderers and instigators liable. What are you talking about? Are you bored? Is it not enough? Who do you justify?

"The Russian trace"... It is no secret that Moscow has a huge and thick folder of compromising information about Lukashenka and not only for murdering opposition leaders and journalists. Over 25 years, Moscow has never presented serious evidence of his crimes. The series "Godfather" is an instrument of information warfare. Russians hinted at the information Deutsche Welle has recently published. It gave us a direct accessory to the crimes - Lukashenka. This is a completely different level, which requires an international investigation in the UN Security Council.

What about us? This issue is the most alarming to me. I have always been proud of being a Belarusian. I have never let anyone humiliate the nation by stereotypes about excessive "patience". I understand that such a level of self-censorship in the media complicates the information dissemination.

I want to support those journalists, human rights defenders, politicians, activists who, despite the risk, continue to investigate the major case in modern Belarusian history. These people have been taking part in numerous rallies holding portraits of murdered leaders. In memory of those who deserve it...

Natallia Radzina, editor-in-chief of Charter97.org

If you like this article, you can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL 97 1160 2202 0000 0002 1671 1123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com