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OSCE in Belarus issues statement on first anniversary of disappearance of Victor Gonchar and Anatoly Krasovsky
MINSK 15 September 2000
MINSK, 15 September 2000 - The OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus notes that on September 16, 1999 Viktor Gonchar, First Vice Chairman of the 13th Supreme Soviet and his friend Anatoly Krasovsky disappeared. One year has passed without any explanation of or new information on this dramatic and disturbing event.
The disappearance of political figures continues to be an obstruction to confidence building endeavours within the civil society in Belarus. More effective measures and convincing action by the government is needed.
On this occasion Ambassador Stefan-Bastl, representing the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship, delivered a statement at the OSCE Permanent Council Meeting in Vienna on Thursday, 14 September. In this statement she outlined that Viktor Gonchar disappeared under suspicious circumstances along with his businessman friend, Anatoli Krasovski. The cases of Mr. Gonchar and Mr. Krasovski are not the only cases of traceless disappearance of opposition members in Belarus. On May 7, 1999 former Minister of the Interior of Belarus, Yuri Zakharenko and on July 7, 2000 a cameraman of the Russian TV channel ORT and a citizen of Belarus, Mr. Dmitry Zavadski disappeared. Until now the Belarusian authorities have uncovered no leads nor provided any accounting of the whereabouts of these persons. She strongly urged the Belarusian Government to investigate seriously the disappearances of these political figures.
For further information contact Andrew Carpenter, OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus, tel. +375 17 272 34 97, mobile: +375 29 6 77 04 14
The disappearance of political figures continues to be an obstruction to confidence building endeavours within the civil society in Belarus. More effective measures and convincing action by the government is needed.
On this occasion Ambassador Stefan-Bastl, representing the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship, delivered a statement at the OSCE Permanent Council Meeting in Vienna on Thursday, 14 September. In this statement she outlined that Viktor Gonchar disappeared under suspicious circumstances along with his businessman friend, Anatoli Krasovski. The cases of Mr. Gonchar and Mr. Krasovski are not the only cases of traceless disappearance of opposition members in Belarus. On May 7, 1999 former Minister of the Interior of Belarus, Yuri Zakharenko and on July 7, 2000 a cameraman of the Russian TV channel ORT and a citizen of Belarus, Mr. Dmitry Zavadski disappeared. Until now the Belarusian authorities have uncovered no leads nor provided any accounting of the whereabouts of these persons. She strongly urged the Belarusian Government to investigate seriously the disappearances of these political figures.
For further information contact Andrew Carpenter, OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus, tel. +375 17 272 34 97, mobile: +375 29 6 77 04 14