General Yury Zakharanka has been missing since 7 May, 1999. He was a former Minister of Internal Affairs dismissed by President Aliaksandr Lukashenka for criticizing the country’s government. Mr Zakharanka was also a founder of the Officers Union and a member of the oppositional United Civil Party.
Later on other people well-known in their country began to disappear: a politician Viktar Hanchar, a businessman Anatol Krasouski and a TV cameraman Dzmitry Zavadski. Shortly before the date – in April 1999 – another popular Belarusian oppositionist Henadz Karpenka had died under obscure circumstances.
On the 16-th each month the actions of solidarity with the missed people and their families take place in Belarus and abroad – as a reminder to the authorities that the society wants to know the truth about the destiny of Zakharanka, Hanchar, Krasouski, Zavadski, and Karpenka.
The official investigation, considered extremely formal by many in Belarus, is silent. The international community considers some high-ranking Belarusian officials involved in kidnapping and possible murder of the missed. The suspected officials are: former Minister of Internal Affairs Uladzimir Navumau, ex-Secretary of the Security Council Viktar Sheiman, former commander of the internal special troops Dzmitry Paulichenka and ex-Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Sivakou.
This year once again the office of public prosecutor in Minsk has extended the investigation term for Yury Zakharanka disappearance case.
"They prolonged the terms of the investigation till June 24, 2009", – said human rights defender Aleh Vouchak in his interview to Charter’97 press centre.
“This is a standard reference of three sentences which in essence is a regular formal response. I have already collected about 15 of them. By such notices the office of public prosecutor simply wants to report to the Working Group on Involuntary Disappearances of the UN Commission on Human Rights. It is possible to state that the investigation has not moved forward. We still have no hope that something would change.”
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Belarusian activists carried out a number of actions in different cities of the country on 7 May, the day of Yury Zakharanka’s disappearance, as a reminder about the missed politician. Few hundreds persons gathered on October square in Minsk with the portraits of Yury Zakharanka and political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka.
The peaceful demonstration became surrounded by the policemen at once. Dozens of participants were arrested and beaten up by the employees of the special police troops.
Prior to the action in Minsk, the United Civil Party leader Anatol Liabedzka stated: "The case of general Zakharanka’s disappearance is not investigated. The authorities undertake nothing to bring those guilty of abducting Yury Zakharanka – as well as Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski and Dzmitry Zavadski – to account.
"We think that the issue of political disappearances should always be raised at the international level. It seems like since recently some European politicians stopped paying attention to this problem though earlier this point was a top priority during negotiations with the authorities. But the case of Yury Zakharanka and the other missed ones has no statute of limitation and doesn’t depend on political situation.”
After the action has ended Anatol Liabedzka was detained among dozens of other democratic activists and then beaten up by the employees of a special police unit.
