Iryna Krasouskaya: “I don’t cherish any illusions cases of political disappearances will be investigated”

• 6.04.2009, 16:37

Relatives of the kidnapped people don’t think resignation of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affaires will lead to investigation of high-profile cases.

“Resignation of Uladzimir Navumau may mean that the Belarusian authorities are giving a signal to Europe. Perhaps, it is a sign that pressure by Europe has become effective. All known that the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly prepared a report on the situation with kidnappings of Anatol Krasouski, Viktar Hanchar, Yury Zakharanka, and Zmitser Zavadski, and concluded that high ranking Belarusian officials were involved in those crimes. Besides, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the UN Working Group on Disappearances keep an eye on the situation. We laid an action to the Un against the Belarusian authorities,” Iryna Krasouskaya, leader of the initiative “We Remember”, widow of the kidnapped Belarusian businessman and public figure, told the Charter’97 press center.

Nevertheless, Iryna Krasouskaya doesn’t think the Belarusian authorities will carry out an objective investigation of cases of kidnappings and killings of the opposition leaders and the journalist.

“I don’t cherish any illusions that cases of political disappearances will be investigated. Lukashenka probably wants to visit the eastern Partnership summit in Prague. I t was said at the recent Brussels Forum and the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, in which I took part, that one of the main obstacles for Lukashenka’s visit to Prague was non-investigation of cases of disappeared oppositionists and possible involvement of Belarusian high ranking officials in those crimes. I am very sceptical about an objective investigation by the current Belarusian authorities. Secretary of the Security Council Viktar Sheiman, suspected of involvement in disappearance of oppositionists, was removed from his post, but nothing has changed so far,” Iryna Krasouskaya concluded.