Terms of investigation of disappearance of Yury Zakharanka extended again

08.10.2009. Tags: political disappearances, Zakharanka.
Source: Charter`97.

As the BelaPAN informs with reference to the human rights activist Aleh Vouchak, the investigation of disappearance of former interior minister of Belarus Yury Zakharanka has been extended till 24 December.

Mr. Vouchak also said that Zakharanka’s family received an e-mail in response to their request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus. ‘I remind that his relatives addressed the Belarusian MFA with regard to several statements of Alexander Lukashenka, who said traces of a killer of Zakharanka should be searched in Germany. The MFA answered it doesn’t deal with the investigation into criminal crimes, so the request of the family would be transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Germany. So, the German police will investigate the disappearance of Zakharanka and examination of Lukashenka’s words,’ Vouchak said.
Vouchak also reminded that a session of the UN working group on enforced disappearances would be held in October. Activists of the Belarusian authorities in searching Yury Zakharanka and other disappeared Belarusian oppositionists will be analyzed at the session. Human rights activists have already expressed their opinion in this respect. In particular, Aleh Vouchak thinks that the Belarusian authorities ‘simulate the investigation’.

By the way, a number of high-ranking officials in Belarus, including the minister of internal affaires Uladzimir Navumau, the head of the president’s administration Viktar Sheiman, the former minister of internal affairs Yury Sivakou, and the former commander of special task squad Dzmitry Paulichenka are banned from entry into the EU countries and the US, because they are suspected of involvement in kidnappings of oppositionists.