Human Rights Activists Visit Iury Zakharanka’s Mother

02.05.2005.

On 30 April members of different human rights organizations including HRC Viasna visited Uliana Zakharanka, Iury Zakharanka’s mother who lived in the town of Vasilievichy in Homiel region. They congratulated her with the Victory Day. Among the guests there were also Volha Zavadskaia, mother of the missing cameraman Dzmitry Zavadski and Zinaida Hanchar, wife of the missing politician Viktar Hanchar.

The main for Uliana Zakharanka is the fate of her son. On 7 May it will be the sixth anniversary of the kidnap of Iury Zakharanka, former minister of internal affairs who dealt with the establishment of the oppositional union of officers. The authorities still haven’t answered the question where are Iury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski and Dzmitry Zavadski. Uliana Zakharanka is still waiting for her son:

-- I hope I will meet Iury. It seems to me that he is still alive, may be they keep the people in some secret place? I think he is still alive. He didn’t kill or rob anyone. He was independent and industrious. I can’t help crying when I look at his photos… Our family has always worked hard. I worked till the age of 72 and only then retired. Even in my old years I can’t rest – I missed my sons in peaceful time, -- said Uliana Zakharanka in her interview to RFE/RL.

Uliana Zakharanka also mentioned that her brother Vasil Lazoranka was awarded for heroism during World War II. During the war she was taken to Germany and there got acquainted with her future husband, prisoner of concentration camp. In 1991 she was a member of the delegation to Koln, where he worked as a captive. Every year Belarusian authorities congratulate her with the Victory Day, but at the same time they demonstrate indifference the fate of her son. Iury Zakharanka’s son, two daughters and grandson moved to Germany and try to get a case on his kidnap brought there. However, they need much money for that.

Alies Dashchynski