BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

30/11/2005

Belarus: Reporters Without Borders condemns closing of file on Grodnikov case

/noticias.info/ Reporters Without Borders has condemned the 28 November refusal to open a criminal investigation into the death of opposition journalist Vassily Grodnikov, in a letter addressed to the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

Paris, 30 November 2005

Dear Mr President,

In a letter on 22 November, we conveyed to the interior minister the need to open a criminal investigation into the death of Vassily Grodnikov, taking into account a number of elements to support the theory that he was murdered for reasons linked to his profession.

We now wish to express our deep concern following the announcement by the Minsk district prosecutor's office on 28 November of its refusal to open an investigation into this case.

Vassily Grodnikov was found dead in his apartment in the Minsk suburbs, on 18 October 2005. Investigators found blood stains on the wallpaper, a broken table and dried blood on the victim's head. A post mortem examination revealed that death was caused by a blow from a blunt object.

Shortly before his death, the journalist was working on the sensitive issue of elderly people living along being swindled out of their apartments. In addition, according to the independent weekly Zhoda, the journalist had left on a table a rough copy of an article headlined "A booked office or several uncompromising questions for the president of the country and the agencies under his control."

We fear we will never know the exact circumstances of the death of Vassily Grodnikov, as was unfortunately the case for two other journalists, Veronika Cherkasova and Dmitry Zavadski.

The first was found murdered at her home in Minsk, on 20 October 2004 with several dozen stab wounds. Since opening their investigation, police have worked on the theory that it was either a crime of passion or linked to a family quarrel, to the detriment of the professional lead.

Dmitry Zavadski went missing at Minsk airport on 7 July 2000. The investigation into his disappearance was closed twice. Suspicions that the authorities were implicated in the case and that they are trying to cover up the truth are still current. Once again, the silence and inactivity of the justice system are very worrying.

These murders should not remain unpunished. The families of the victims and the Belarus people have the right to know what really happened.

That is why we urge you to not to close the Vassily Grodnikov case without thoroughly exploring the possibility of murder and without finally obtaining tangible results on the suspicious deaths of Veronika Charkasova and Dmitry Zavadski.

I trust you will give this request your careful consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Robert Menard, Secretary General

Source: