The IPU notes with interest the verdict delivered by the Swiss district criminal court of Rorschach (St. Gallen) in the case of the Belarusian opposition parliamentarian Mr. Victor Gonchar (Hanchar).
Mr. Gonchar disappeared in September 1999, along with opposition colleague Mr. Anatoly Krasovsky. Mr. Gonchar had been the Deputy Speaker of the 13th Supreme Soviet and a major political opponent of the Belarus President, Mr. Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians has been actively monitoring Mr. Gonchar’s case since 1999 and calling for the authorities to be held to account.
The Swiss court found that the Belarus government was responsible for the enforced disappearance of Mr. Gonchar, stating that the “facts should not be in doubt”.
The trial was triggered by the confession of Mr. Yury Garavsky (Harauski), who admitted playing a part in the disappearance and murder of Mr. Gonchar shortly after requesting asylum in Switzerland.
Previously, Mr. Garavsky had also taken part in a hearing organized by the IPU Committee in November 2020 in which he provided abundant evidence on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and subsequent murder of Mr Gonchar.
The President of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, Mr. Samuel Cogolati, said “This is a historic verdict and an important step for establishing accountability in this case. It sets a precedent for the effectiveness of universal jurisdiction in ensuring that justice is done even where national authorities fail in their duty to protect their citizens from international crimes. My thoughts go to the relatives of the disappeared who have been forced to wait to know the fate of their loved ones for 24 years. The IPU Committee has relentlessly called for all countries to join its efforts in ensuring that justice is done in this case ever since its mission in Belarus in November 1999. I am certain that this verdict marks a turning point for this case, the Committee will not give up until all those responsible are held to account in this case and in other cases of this kind, I call all countries and relevant organizations to support our work.”
The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians defends MPs who face abuse, mistreatment or even death. The only international mechanism with such a remit, the IPU Committee is currently examining the cases of 739 MPs, including four cases of enforced disappearances.
