One of European Court to Start Kidnap Case against Belarusian Authorities
In her interview to Radio “Liberty” after her visit to Belgium, Sviatlana Zavadskaya said that one of European courts will start the trial of the Belarusian authorities who are suspected in organization of disappearances of well-known countrymen. She said that it was impossible to start the case without consultations with influential European politicians. During the last three days in Brussels she met with deputies of the European Parliament, such as Elizabeth Schroeder, Jan Wiersa, Bart Staes and others. At these meetings the possibility of hearings in concerning the issue of political disappearances in Belarus at the European Parliament was discussed as well as the financial and organizational circumstances of the future trial of the Belarusian authorities, suspected in relation to the disappearances. Mrs. Zavadskaya has no doubts that the trial will be conducted.
(Zavadskaya:) “Now I don’t want to speak about everything we’ve discussed not to give the authorities the possibility to counteraction. I can only say that there are certain countries that are interested in this issue. We have even discussed with lawyers the expenses and found the main source of financing, although the trial will demand a considerable material contribution on our behalf as well,”
Relatives of the missing Belarusian opposition activists have to apply to one of European court due to the reluctance of the authorities to really investigate these cases. For instance, Sviatlana Zavadskaya still hasn’t been informed about the location of the body of her husband, though the alleged kidnappers have been already imprisoned. Zinaida Hanchar, Iryna Krasowskaya and Yury Zakharanka’s relatives insist on investigation of the version about relation of heads of the law machinery of Belarus, such as Prosecutor General Viktar Sheyman, to the disappearances. The investigation, however, pretends not to notice this version at all.
If one of the European courts starts the hearings of the cases of the missing Belarusian opposition activists, the suspected Belarusian officials can be detained in any European country and forcibly taken to the trial. Relatives of the missing persons insist on initiation of this procedure towards Viktar Sheyman, Yury Sivakow, Uladzimir Navumaw, Zmitser Pawlichenka and some other officials.
