OMON against the Truth :: Charter'97 :: News

The action “We remember” demanding the investigation of the disappearance of the Belarusian politicians, public people and the journalist has taken place today on the 6the anniversary of the disappearance of the Vice President Victor Ganchar and businessman and public figure Anatoly Krasousky. About 100 people, mainly activists of the “Zubr” movement, marched out in the Oktyabrskaya Square holding the portraits of the people who disappeared without traces in 1999-2000: the Vice President of Belarus Victor Ganchar, businessman and public figure Anatoly Krasousky, former Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Zakharenka and journalist Dzmitry Zavadsky. The action was also supported by the activists of the “Malady Front”, the United Civil Party (UCP) and ordinary citizens. The people peacefully standing in the square were scattered by the forces of the Minsk OMON. Around 100 OMON officers in uniform and plain clothes were thrown against the protestors and started pushing the people from the square.

The “Zubr” activists tried to resist the pressure of the OMON. 20 young people clasped their hands and refused to leave the square. As a result, there appeared 2 parallel lines of people – OMON and “Zubr” – standing still and watching each other silently for some time. All of a sudden one of the “Zubr” coordinators Nikita Sasym took off his jeans shirt, tied it around a flag pole and started waving it, shouting “Long live, Belarus!” The call was joined by the “Zubr” members.

“As we were approaching the square, people in plain clothes took the national white-red-and-white flag away from one of the “Zubr” activists. We had one more “Zubr” flag but it was also taken away during the action. And then I decided to take off my jeans shirt and make it a flag”, - said Sasym.

The violent forcing of “Zubr” activists from the square was accompanied by blows and kicks. Militia officers in plain clothes grabbed the portraits of the missing politicians from the participants’ hands, tore and stepped on them. Many “Zubr” activists were beaten.

As usual the participants of the action were forced to move to the river Svisloch near the metro station “Nemiga”. But the “Zubr” activists returned to the square and organised themselves with the portraits of the missing people again. At this time several activists of the UCP together with their leader Anatoly Lebedzka were still in the square. Everyone was again driven away to the river. In this way people kept returning to the square several times and were again and again pushed away by the militia.

Commenting on the events, one of the “Zubr” activists said the following: “During this action none of us was arrested. The OMON officers knew that we were doing nothing illegal, they forced us away from the square, hitting us underhand and using threats and swear language. The authorities are simply afraid of the truth”.