Homel remembers “Zubr” member Andrei Zaitsau

Representatives of the United Democratic Forces of Homel, “Razam” movement and “Our Altenative” campaign have created an organizing committee for commemoration of Andrei Zaitsau (Zajtsev), a member of “Zubr” resistance movement.

Activists will visit the grave of Andrei and organize an evening consecrated to his memory, Radio Svaboda informs.

10 years ago, on December 20, 2001 Andrei committed suicide. He left a suicide note explaining that KGB representatives were to blame for his death. In the corridor of his flat, on the tip table right in front of the beam where Zaitsau’s body was hanging, a cassette with recording of his telephone conversation with an officer of the regional department of the KGB was left, as well as his statement to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee with the details of his recruiting as a secret informant on activities of civil and political organisations.

In the morning Andrei with his mother went to the market. He bought cigarettes and a new lighter. On that day nothing predicted a tragedy, though, as said by his mother, Andrei was anxious. Two days before the tragedy he even confessed to his mother that he had been persuaded to become a provocator.

Andrei told about recruiting by KGB officers, in particular, by senior lieutenant Alyaksandr Eustsihneeu, also to his friends. With one of his friends Andrei recorded a phone conversation on a Diktaphone.

Andrei: I am saying for the last time, if you want to talk to me, it is only through a summons, through your department of the KGB. Officially.

The KGB officer: Certainly. But why are you talking like this? Have you consulted with anyone?

Andrei: No, I have not consulted to anyone. But I am simply tired of that all. I do not want to betray my friends!

The KGB officer: You do not want to betray your friends? And have you ever betrayed anyone?

Andrei: No! And I do not want to!

The KGB officer: And do you want me to inform on you?

Andrei: To whom?

The KGB officer: Ah, you have become brave and strong. Well, okay, if you are so brave…

The KGB directorate of Homel denied they have an officer named Yeustsihneeu, though the phone number mentioned by Zaitsau, belongs to the KGB building.

To the inquiry of the lawyer, Homel regional state phone company, Homelabltelecam, officially answered about the owner of the pager who was to receive messages Andrei was told to send: “The subscriber of number 215862 of the electronic pager of Homelabltelekam network was registered for A.I. Yastremski.” This officer worked in one of the departments of Homel KGB directorate.

Andrei Zaitsau also told about psychological pressure and his first meeting with the KGB man in the military enlistment office, where he had been summoned by a writ: “The young man was sitting. I entered, all doors closed behind me. The room was completely locked. The first thing he made, without telling his name, he placed handcuffs on the table, and said: “We have learnt that you have weapons and ammunition at home.” I said: I am sorry, you have not told your name. He said: “Senior Lieutenant Ales Yeustsihneeu.” I continued that I had nothing and had never had anything. I said they could search my flat. He answered: “Don’t worry, we’ll find everything. We’ll find everything we need.” He started to threaten me: “You have been involved in the election campaign. You are connected to “Zubr”. And I answered: What’s wrong with that? He: “You are a suspect in a criminal case!” I said: I will answer for thet myself if it is true. He: “I offer to you: either you cooperate with us and I’ll help you out of prison, or you’ll be imprisoned, and the situation there would be even worse for you.”

After the statement of Andrei’s father the prosecutor’s office of Savetski distict carried out a check of the fact of death and refused to open a criminal case on making a person to commit suicide. As they said, the suicide was committed in connection with “the depressive state caused by the necessity to serve the sentence in the remand prison for a committed crime.”

A rather dim criminal case had been opened against Zaitsau for intimate relations with a ten-grade schoolgirl. On December 12 a closed court of Savetski district sentenced Zaitsau to 3 month in prison basing upon a statement of a third person, not a victim.

It was an additional reason for blackmailing Andrei Zaitsau.