HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER “VIASNA”MissingBelarusCameraman.pg.jpg

PRESS RELEASE

26 November 2004

College Board of Minsk City Court Rejects Volha Zavadskaya’s Complaint

In August 2004 Volha Zavadskaya, mother of the ORT cameraman Zmitser Zavadski (photo from ZUBR demonstration in Minsk) who disappeared in July 2000, filed to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus demand to renew the investigation of the case, brought on disappearance of her son in connection with new circumstances and interrogate President Lukashenka as a witness.  
 
At the press conference of 20 July 2004 President of the Republic of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko made a statement concerning the criminal cases, brought on the facts of disappearances of citizens of the Republic of Belarus:
“What surprises me: if the relatives worry so much, why don’t you come to me. One person came to me, a woman, you know the reason why I can’t call her surname. She came to me, I accepted her. She asked me about one man, I again don’t mention his surname. I was impressed by this woman. She’s brave. I spoke with her for three hours and showed to her certain documents. If I gave publicity to them now, Zavadskiy’s case would turn into “anti-case”. By the way, it’s my only pain – Dima Zavadskiy. I am also very interested to find about the fate of this man.”

From the Prosecutor’s office Volha Zavadskaya received the information that there wouldn’t be any answer because Prosecutor General Viktar Sheyman took the application and gave no orders to the workers of the office concerning it.

On 25 November the college board of Minsk City Court with judge Luhina at the head rejected the complaint of Volha Zavadskaya against the actions of the national prosecutor’s office, who ignore her demands to return to consideration of the case about the disappearance of her son Zmitser Zavadski.

Information Department of HRC “Viasna”