Council of Europe Can Urge Authorities Form International Commission For Scandalous Cases Investigation :: Charter'97 :: News

In the final resolution of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly this influential international organization called on the authorities of Ukraine to form a commission for investigation of the disappearance of journalist Georgiy Gongadze . Anatoly Lebedko, the head of the 13th Supreme Soviet delegation, believes in creates an important precedent, which could speed up creation of the analogous commission for investigation abductions on political grounds in Belarus. The point about creation of such commission in the final PACE resolution means at least that these cases are not just domestic affairs of these countries.

As Radio Racyja informs, the Council of Europe the Ukrainian authorities to launch a fresh investigation into the disappearance and death of Georgiy Gongadze, if necessary, and to set up a new independent commission of inquiry comprising international investigators. Hanne Severinsen (Denmark, LDR), stated that one cannot speak about the progress of democracy in Ukraine without detailed investigation of Gongadze’s case.

Lebedko called this resolution “Belarusian victory as well”. He considers that the wives of the Belarusian vanished could attend the sittings of the PACE committees together with Miroslava Gongadze. According to Lebedko, one of the aspects of the new strategy in relations of the CE and Belarus could be a call to set up independent investigation of disappearances in Belarus.