Commemoration disappeared men of Belarus
Late in the evening of September 16th, 1999, businessman Anatoly Krasovsky and opposition leader Viktor Gonchar got disappeared while they were leaving a bathhouse in Minsk. That same night the death penalty execution pistol was borrowed. Since then the investigation of the case is being counteracted by the Belarusian government. But we do not forget Viktor Gonchar and Anatoly Krasovsky. As we will never forget Yuri Zakharenko (former Minister of Internal Affairs) and Dmitry Zavadsky (TVjournalist) who disappeared on May 7th, 1999 and July 7th, 2000. What all four men shared, were their critics on the government of dictator Lukashenko.
We commemorated these disappearances with the planting of four trees in Eindhoven on September 16th, 2008. Organisations involved in the human rights issue in Belarus, came together in the Dutch city Eindhoven, the twin-city of Belarus capital Minsk. The trees have been planted by Mary Fiers (elderman Municipality Eindhoven), Iryna and Valeriya Krasovskaya (“We Remember” Foundation), Dzmitry Markusheuski (Belarus Helsinki Committee) and Marijke Dusseljee (Amnesty International); Nicolai Kanakh, Oleg Podolinski (BKDP) and Berend Molz (FNV Bondgenoten); Joeri Oudshoorn (Mission To Minsk) and Leonoor Akkermans (“Solid” Foundation).
September 16th, 2009 the 10th anniversary of the four disappearances was commemorated between the four trees at the Paradijslaan. Mary Fiers (elderman Municipality Eindhoven), Valeriya Krasovskaya, Olga Stuzhinskaya (Office for Democratic Belarus) , Christie Miedema (Amnesty International) en Franny Parren (TIE Netherlands) spoke to the participants.
Leo Mesman wrote the poem which (in Dutch) is inscripted on the memorial
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4 trees for belarus
4 men
who stood up against the one
that took the people’s freedom
and disappeared
4 trees
planted here as living signs
so that we won’t forget a single day
to mourn for
4 men
who stood up against the one
that took the people’s freedom
and disappeared
Leo Mesman