Disappeared persons in Belarus

El Comité de Asuntos Jurídicos y Derechos Humanos ha estado preocupado durante más de dos años por las desapariciones de Yuri Zakharenko,ex-ministro del interior (desaparecido el 7 de mayo de 1999), Victor Gonchar, ex-vice presidente del parlamento de Belarus (desaparecido el 16 de septiembre de 1999), de Anatoly Krasovski, hombre de negocios (desaparecido con Sr. Gonchar), y de Dmitri Zavadski, cámera para el canal de TV ruso ORT (desaparecido el 7 de julio de 2000). Las alegaciones hechas en público fueron llevadas a la atención del Comité sobre Asuntos Jurídicos y Derechos Humanos que estas desapariciones tenían un fondo político. Este informe no es una investigación criminal en estas desapariciones con objeto de identificar ésos responsables. El propósito es examinar de una manera totalmente imparcial si una investigación apropiada de las desapariciones ha sido conducida por las autoridades competentes de Belarusia.

Introductory memorandum

A. Introduction

B. Preliminary conclusions

C. Basis for my conclusions

1. The official execution pistol
2. Witness statements and material evidence (paint traces, car fragments) relating to the scene of the abduction of Gonchar and Krasovski
3. The handwritten accusation by Police General Lapatik of 21 November 2000
4. The arrest and rapid liberation of Colonel Pavlichenko in November 2000
5. The alleged letter from former Prosecutor General O. Bozhelko to his Russian counterpart asking for specialised equipment
6. Other details of former Prosecutor General Bozhelko's story as told by
Mr Leonov
7. Personnel changes at the highest level of the power organs in November 2000
8. The secret trial of the "Ignatovich gang"

D. Consequences

APPENDIX

DETAILED PRESENTATION OF THE BASIS OF MY PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS

1. Information surrounding the official execution pistol

a. Deposition of Mr Alkayev
b. Explanations given to me by Mr Sivakov, former Minister of the Interior
c. Conclusions of Senior Investigator Chumachenko (see note 29)
d. The registry book and the pistol itself
e. My own preliminary conclusions on this issue

2. Witness statements and material evidence (paint traces, car fragments) relating to the scene of the abduction of Gonchar and Krasovski

a. Senior investigator Chumachenko's report
b. Explanations given by Interior Minister Naumov and Prosecutor General Sheyman
c. My own preliminary conclusions on this issue

3. The handwritten accusation by Police General Lapatik of 21 November 2000

a. (Recent) recognition of the note as genuine
b. Follow-up given to General Lapatik's note and other "versions"
c. (Absence of) legal measures taken against General Lapatik
d. Absence of legal action against journalists who published Lapatik's report
e. My own preliminary conclusions on this issue

4. The arrest and rapid release of Colonel Pavlichenko in November 2000

a. The official version
b. The version of the families of the "disappeared"
c. My own preliminary conclusions on this issue

5. The alleged letter from former Prosecutor General O. Bozhelko to his Russian counterpart asking for specialised equipment

6. Other details of former Prosecutor General Bozhelko's story as told by
Mr Leonov

7. Personnel changes at the highest level of the power organs in November 2000

8. The secret trial of the "Ignatovich gang"

NOTES