Verdict In Zavadzky’s Case Remains Valid :: Charter'97 :: News

On Tuesday the panel of judges of the Supreme Court of Belarus declined a collective appeal of the attorneys of the disappeared ORT cameraman Zmitser Zavadzky’s family and of the convicts’ relatives. The panel of judges upheld the conviction against the group of Ihnatovich, which was found guilty in committing a number of grave crimes including Zavadzky’s abduction. In March 2002 two leaders of the gang were sentenced to life imprisonments, two other members of the gang were sentenced to 25 and 12 years of imprisonment.

Zavadzky’s relatives and attorneys of the convicts do not agree with the charges and believe that real criminals remain free. It was said in the appeal that the evidence collected by the prosecution couldn’t be a basis for guilty verdict, as is was obtained with infringement of judicial procedure. It is also stressed in the appeal that investigators couldn’t manage to establish facts bringing to light what had happened to Zavadzky.