International day of disappeared people: Where’re Zakharanka, Hanchar, Krasouski, and Zavadski?

August 30 is International Day of the Disappeared. Politicians Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, businessman Anatol Krasouski, and journalist Zmitser Zavadzki disappeared in Belarus under puzzling circumstances.

The International Day of the Disappeared is marked on the initiative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which addressed the world community asking to give more attention to one of the most difficult humanitarian problems, arising during war conflicts, Radio Svaboda reports.

There are no precise figures of how many people are considered to be disappeared in the world. According to official but estimative data, from 375 thousand to 1 million people have disappeared in different conflicts in Iraq since 1980, the press service of the International Committee of the Red Cross reports. 17.000 people have disappeared in early 1990ies during the wars after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Dozens of thousands people are on the list of disappeared in Africa, 22 thousand of them disappeared in Angola.

There are no wars and conflicts in Belarus. However, four persons - politicians Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, businessman Anatol Krasouski, and journalist Zmitser Zavadzki disappeared in Belarus under puzzling circumstances. The criminal cases over their disappearing were closed several times, but then reopen again. The relatives lost all hopes.

“No changes. They sent a paper once per three month saying the investigation is in process. I am not said how long it will last. As the investigation is being carried out for 9 years, of course, I don’t believe in the work of investigators,” Zinaida Hanchar, wife of the famous politician Viktar Hanchar, disappeared in 1999, says.

Resolutions of the UN, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the OSCE contain Demands to reveal the truth about kidnapping of these people. Acting and former officers of law enforcement bodies Uladzimer Navumau, Viktar Sheiman, Yury Sivakou, Dzmitry Paulichenka are banned to entry the US and the EU countries due to suspicion in the involvement in disappearance of Zmitser Zavadzki, Viktar Hanchar, Yury Zakharanka, and Anatol Krasouski.

Volha Ryhorauna, mother of disappeared in 2000 ORT TV operator Zmitser Zavadski, doesn’t believe any progress in her son’s case is possible:

“I have no hopes. The prosecutor’s office haven’t’ given detailed answer s to all questions during all these years. They just give formal replies saying they carry on investigation, the case is not closed, but suspended. We have never been informed about the details of the investigation, what results they have reached.”

Sons in families of Viktar Hanchar and Zmitser Zavadzki and daughters in Anatol Krasouski’s family grew and became adults without their fathers. Family of disappeared former minister of internal affairs Yury Zakharanka had to leave for Germany