Human Rights Defenders Comment On Report About Oppositionists Abducted In Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

The head of the public commission on investigation of the cases of missing oppositionists Aleh Volchek has sent his comments on the report of Christos Pourgourides, prepared for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. As the former investigator himself, he calls attention of Christos Pourgourides to a number of issues which were not reflected in his report on political abductions, but have a vital importance.

In particular, as the Radio Svaboda informs, Aleh Volchek thinks that the Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus should combine into one the cases of Yuri Zakharanka and Viktar Hanchar - Anatoliy Krasowsky. It is obligatory to combine cases when the cases have common features and when the same persons are suspected.

Aleh Volchek also recommends Mr. Pourgourides pay to special attention to the testimony of the former investigator of the Prosecutor’s Office Zmitser Pyatrushkevich, who has been taking part in the investigation until 2000, and then immigrated to the USA, allegedly escaping pursuit of the Belarusian special services.

In the final part of his letter Volchek supports the proposition to press for creation of a parliamentary commission on the cases of the missing, but including the relatives of the missing. Besides, Aleh Volchek supports the idea to demand the Belarusian authorities information about what has been achieved by the official investigation.