Minsk Prosecutor’s Office Does Not Answer Zmitser Zavadsky’s Relatives :: Charter'97 :: News

A well-known lawyer and human rights activist Harry Pahanyajla (Harry Pogonyaylo) filed a request to city prosecutor’s office of Minsk about the actions of investigators in the case of Zmitser Zavadsky, ORT cameraman’s disappearance. According to the recent information from the prosecutor’s office, this case has been reopened, but the lawyer doubts the actuality of the investigation, which lasts for almost five years, Radio Svaboda informs.

On behalf of the relatives of disappeared journalist Harry Pahanyajla petitioned to verify the version, according to which the body of Zmitser Zavadsky could have been found near the town of Krupki, and among other unidentified bodies buried at local cemetery. The lawyer founds that the story concerning these bodies found in Krupki, which was disclosed last year, is worth investigation, as Krupki is the native town of former SWAT officer Valer Ihnatovich (Valery Ignatovich), the main suspect in Zavadsky’s case. The witnesses saw Ihnatovich in Krupki approximately in the time when the unidentified people’s death occurred. The request to the prosecutor’s office was filed in March, but the answer has not been received still.
Meanwhile, in the case of Zavadsky Harry Pahanyajla has a special status. By law he is recognized the representative of the relatives of the journalist, and that is why he has a right, and responsibility to initiate certain investigatory actions and receive answers to his requests. The three-month’ silence of the investigation regarding Krupki version is called an obvious violation of the law by Harry Pahanyajla. The lawyer says that the investigators have been acting in the same manner for the five years of preliminary investigation of this case.

Meanwhile investigator Uladzimir Chumachenka (Vladimir Chumachenko), who is participating in the investigation of Zavadsky’s case for several years, told to Radio Svaboda that Krupki version “has been verified, but no connection to the case of Zavadsky found”. No details were revealed by the investigator, referring to the secret of investigation.

According to the earlier information from the Prosecutor’s office of the country, investigators in Zavadsky’s case were carrying out investigatory actions abroad recently. The prosecutor’s office did not say about the particular country. Meanwhile Zavadsky’s relatives and their legal representative Harry Pahanyajla believe that Israel was meant, where the gold stolen by Ihnatovich’s gang, had been found. However, Harry Pahanyajla does not see direct connection of these actions with the search for Zmitser Zavadsky.