Solidarity In Struggle With Dictatorship :: Charter'97 :: News

On February 14, before the Day of Solidarity, the civil initiative “We Remember” has received a letter of support from organizations engaged in problems of forcible abductions in Argentina, Sri Lanka, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Representatives of these organizations have got acquainted with the Belarusian problem of forcible abductions at a conference “International Models of Transitional Justice” in Sarajevo.

An immense amount of pain, suffering and hope concentrated in one assembly hall. “Truth” and “justice”, these two words were heard in every speech, in every remark, in every question at the conference “International Models of Transitional Justice”, organized by the International Commission on Missing Persons. A woman, who lost two sons and a husband in Srebrenica, addressing the conference, said “We need truth. Without truth and justice we cannot get to democracy”.

30,000 abducted, 10,000 killed, adversities and lives trampled underfoot are a bitter experience of the struggle for freedom and democracy in Argentina. In Sri Lanka about 60,000 forcible abductions have taken place within the period of 1987-1992. More than 1 mln of disappearances have taken place in Iraq, where people were shot and dissolved in acid. 300 mass graves found. Saddham Hussein is in prison, but people want truth and justice. And it’s a direction where Iraq is breaking fresh ground.

Belarus was represented by the leader of the civil initiative “We Remember” Iryna Krasouskaya. She made a report “Power of solidarity: Disappearances in Belarus”. In the report she told about the situation with human rights in the country, about the denial of the authorities to investigate abductions of people, about the wish and determination of both relatives and common people to find out the truth about the abductions. Iryna Krasouskaya specially noted work of international organizations, the PACE in particular, and the report “On Disapperances in Belarus” by Christos Pourgourides. She also told about the Day of Solidarity on the 16th day of every month.

All speeches and discussions at the conference showed that though the number of abductions in different countries varies (20 cases in Macedonia, 30,000 in Argentina, 5,000 in Kosovo, 35,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina), abductions are taking place in the countries with dictatorships, which are trying to keep control over the population by all means.

Another important lesson learnt from that conference, mentioned by everybody, is that any dictatorship has its end sooner or later. Then the questions of truth, justice and rehabilitation arise. These actions are taking place now in many countries that have experienced a tragedy of tyranny, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country-organizer of the conference.

Representatives of the organizations of the families of disappeared from the Netherlands, Iraq, Belarus and Argentina

Delegations of women belonging to the organizations of the families of disappeared from the USA, Iraq, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina

A rally on December 11, 2006 in memory of Srebrenica genocide victims (Tuzla, Bosnia)

Memorial and burial ground in Potocari, Srebrenica

In the office of the Union of Bosnian associations of families of disappeared

A meeting in the office of the organization “Mothers of Srebrenica”

Representatives of organizations of families of disappeared from Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in support of the civil initiative “We Remember”