Zinaida Hanchar Addresses Deputy Salauiou Concerning Disappearance of Viktar Hanchar

Zinaida Hanchar, wife of the missing politician Viktar Hanchar, sent open letter to the deputy of the Chamber of Representatives Anatol Salauiou who presented to the Assembly of the Inter-parliamentary Union of Russia and Belarus false information about the process of investigation of Hanchar’s kidnapping. Here’s the text of the letter:

Anatol Mikhailavich,

As I’ve found from mass media, at the press-conference of 24 October 2005, devoted to the results of the participation of the official delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belaus in 133 Assembly of the Inter-parliamentary Union, you presented information concerning the case of my husband, Viktar Hanchar.

In private, you said there: “What concerns Belarus, you know that the case of Viktar Hanchar, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus of the 13th Convocation has been considered at the committee for six years… Members of the committee on human rights stated their satisfaction with the constant control of this case. Now Minsk City Procurator’s Office resumed the investigation of this case in connection with new circumstances, which was valued as a positive move…”

Anatol Mikhailavich, if you as a man who personally has known Viktar Hanchar since the times of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th Convocation were really interested in this case, you would surely have known that during the last two years the case hasn’t been suspended. That’s why I’m even more surprised to hear about “the constant control” of the Parliament towards the investigation of the kidnap of your colleague. I am sure that you simply protect your own image in the international community and purposefully misinform them.

You have also been a deputy of the Chamber of Representatives of all previous convocations and doubtlessly received from public and from me in person requests to raise the question about the progress of the investigation of my husband’s case. Unlike few of our colleagues, you didn’t even consider it necessary to answer my request. You are an officer and it is unforgivable for you to abuse the name of Viktar Hanchar and the family grief to defend yourself, your helplessness and inaction.

I again apply to you: tell them about the new circumstances in the case of my husband which you know and about which you officially stated.

I won’t hide my intention to apply to the administration of the Inter-parliamentary Union with the request to demand from you information about the real situation, the circumstances you know and, moreover, will ask you to evaluate the activity of the Belarusian Parliament concerning the control of Viktar Hanchar’s case and your statements in private.