Police drop criminal case on kidnapping of Zmitser Dashkevich

A criminal case opened on abduction of the Zmitser Dashkevich, Chairperson of the Young Front, has been suspended under Article 246 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, reads the letter received by the oppositionist and signed by A.Zhabinski, senior interrogating officer of the Zavadski police department in Minsk.

However, as noted by the press-service of the Young Front, it was stated in the answer: ‘The complex of investigatory activities aimed at detecting persons who had committed the crime, and search for the stolen property continues.’

’There were no hopes that under the current regime this criminal case would have a different result,’ said Zmitser Dashkevich commenting on the answer from the police.

Bear in mind that on 5 December at 11 a.m. near his apartment the oppositionist was encircled by several people in mufti, his hands were wrung, and he was taken out and pushed into a car. Personal things of Dashkevich were seized, two hats pulled on his head. He was driven in the car for several hours, and after that left in a wood near Lahoisk.

Some more Belarusian opposition leaders were abducted in December 2009 as well. Yauhen Afnahel, a leader of the European Belarus civil campaign, was abducted by the unknown on 6 December. As said by the young activist, 4 persons in mufti seized him in Belinskiy Street in Minsk, forced into a white car with tinted glasses and taken out side the city. As said by the activist of European Belarus, the abductors said almost nothing. His head was pressed to his knees, and then he was thrown out of the car at some country road in several kilometers from Barysau highway.