Harry Pahanyajla: Highest Belarusian Officials to Stand Trial :: Charter'97 :: News

“We are looking for international mechanisms to help investigate abduction cases of politicians and journalist in Belarus. We are working on universal criminal jurisdiction which enables to initiate criminal case against citizens who committed international crimes, if the countries where they live do not want such procedures. As a rule, it concerns representatives of official authorities, who are not interested in conducting an objective investigation. There is a practice of courts in Belgium, England, France, Germany and Spain. The governments of these countries have a right to demand extradition these people for judgement. Sooner or later the highest officials of Belarus are to stand trial,” the well-known human rights activist, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Harry Pahanyajla told to the Charter’97 press center, commenting the arrest of the commanders of power structures and the head of presidential guard charged with assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in Lebanon.

As we have informed, according to the resolution of the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Uladzimir Navumau, Interior Minister of Belarus, the head of presidential administration Viktar Shejman, former interior minister of Belarus Yury Sivakou, the commander of riot police Dzmitry Paulichenka are suspected of involvement in abductions of well-known Belarusian politicians and a journalist.