«FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE»: «Belarusian Minister Suspected of Creating Death Squadrons» :: Charter'97 :: News

Some influential German newspapers like “Frankfurter Allgemeine”, “Focus”, “Handelsblatt”, “Tagesspiegel” have published articles about Yuri Sivakov. The newspapers place pictures of the Belarusian sports and tourism minister and quote official Minsk statements that “the EU uses the Olympics as an arena for political games”.

Moscow correspondent of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine” Markus Wehner, one of the first Western journalists who told the world about so-called death squads’ existence in Belarus, named his article “More than Political Games”. As the newspaper writes, neither Athens nor the EU want to see at the Olympic Games a minister who according to well-grounded evidence could have been involved in abductions of people. “Accusations against Sivakov are grave, - writes “Frankfurter Allgemeine”. “The Minister is suspected of creating a death squad”. According to reasonable suspicions, this squad was involved in abduction, and then in assassination of former interior minister Yury Zakharanka (Yuri Zakharenko), a 47-year-old general who opposed Lukashenka and planned to form an alternative Union of Officers. Four months later a charismatic leader Viktar Hanchar (Viktor Gonchar) and businessman Anatol Krasouski (Anatoliy Krasovsky) disappeared.

According to some facts, Dzmitry Paulichenka headed the death squad. In November 2000 he was arrested by the order of prosecutor general Aleh Bahzelka (Oleg Bozhelko). During the interrogation information was received about the shooting of opposition politicians, including testimony on the instrument of crime, a gun, used only for capital punishment before. This gun on deposit of Aleh Alkaeu (Oleg Alkaev), and according to Alkaeu’s information to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine” reporter, had been given out twice by order of General Sivakov. The period of time of giving out of the gun and oppositionists’ murders coincide.

As the “Frankfurter Allgemeine” adds, referring to other witnesses, who are in the USA now, the death squad first was training to kill criminals. About 30 people were murdered. Viktar Shejman, Security Council secretary (currently the Prosecutor General of Belarus) is suspected of involvement in murders together with Sivakov.