Dmitri Pavlichenko
Encyclopedia
Dmitri Valeriyevich Pavlichenko , born 1966 in Vitebsk
, is head of the Belarus
ian Special Rapid Reaction Unit (SOBR
).
's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights reported concerns suggesting that Dmitri Pavlichenko, along with other "senior officials of the State" had been involved in the assassination of several people, including senior politicians.
He stated that the Chief of the Criminal Police of Belarus, General Lapatik, in a handwritten note on November 21, 2000, accused Dmitri Pavlichenko of assassinating Jury Zacharanka
, a former Minister of the Interior who disappeared
on May 7, 1999, with a PB pistol, normally used for carrying out the death penalty
at SIZO-1 prison
, officially signed out from SIZO-1 on the orders of the Minister of the Interior, Sivakov. He also stated suspicions that Pavlichenko was involved in the disappearances
of Victor Gonchar, Vice-President of the Parliament of Belarus and businessman Anatoly Krasovski on September 16, 1999.
Pavlichenko was arrested on November 22, 2000. According to Pourgourides' report, the warrant stated (translation)
While the warrant stated that the detention would be for 30 days, Pavlichenko was released a few days later, either on November 23 (according to Prosecutor General Victor Sheyman, who became Prosecutor General on November 27) or on November 27 (according to Colonel Oleg Alkayev, head of SIZO-1 at the time, who later was accepted for political asylumn in Germany
). Pourgourides states that the Zakharenko family's lawyer, Volchek, stated that President Alexander Lukashenko
had personally ordered Pavlichenko's release from prison. He also states that the Minister of Agriculture, Leonov, had personally told him that Lukashenko had "violently criticised the KGB for arresting Pavlichenko" on television.
The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union has expressed its concern about these allegations and Pavlichenko is now subject to international financial sanctions among with several other Belarusian senior officials and politicians.
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
, is head of the Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian Special Rapid Reaction Unit (SOBR
SOBR
The Special Rapid Response Unit or SOBR is an elite commando unit of the Russian Interior Ministry, involved in anti-criminal operations....
).
Allegations of assassinations
In February 2004, Christos Pourgourides of the Council of EuropeCouncil of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights reported concerns suggesting that Dmitri Pavlichenko, along with other "senior officials of the State" had been involved in the assassination of several people, including senior politicians.
He stated that the Chief of the Criminal Police of Belarus, General Lapatik, in a handwritten note on November 21, 2000, accused Dmitri Pavlichenko of assassinating Jury Zacharanka
Jury Zacharanka
Colonel Yury Zakharanka was the Belarusian minister of internal affairs and oppositional politician abducted and probably killed in 1999....
, a former Minister of the Interior who disappeared
Forced disappearance
In international human rights law, a forced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the...
on May 7, 1999, with a PB pistol, normally used for carrying out the death penalty
Capital punishment in Belarus
The provision for Capital Punishment in Belarus has been a part of the country since gaining independence from the Soviet Union. The current national constitution prescribes this punishment for "grave crimes." Later laws have clarified the specific crimes for which capital punishment can be used...
at SIZO-1 prison
Minsk Detention Center No. 1
The Minsk Detention Center No. 1 is the central prison of the Republic of Belarus. Operated by the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs, SIZO No. 1 is also the only facility that houses death row inmates. The execution of death row inmates occurs at the prison....
, officially signed out from SIZO-1 on the orders of the Minister of the Interior, Sivakov. He also stated suspicions that Pavlichenko was involved in the disappearances
Forced disappearance
In international human rights law, a forced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the...
of Victor Gonchar, Vice-President of the Parliament of Belarus and businessman Anatoly Krasovski on September 16, 1999.
Pavlichenko was arrested on November 22, 2000. According to Pourgourides' report, the warrant stated (translation)
While the warrant stated that the detention would be for 30 days, Pavlichenko was released a few days later, either on November 23 (according to Prosecutor General Victor Sheyman, who became Prosecutor General on November 27) or on November 27 (according to Colonel Oleg Alkayev, head of SIZO-1 at the time, who later was accepted for political asylumn in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
). Pourgourides states that the Zakharenko family's lawyer, Volchek, stated that President Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line...
had personally ordered Pavlichenko's release from prison. He also states that the Minister of Agriculture, Leonov, had personally told him that Lukashenko had "violently criticised the KGB for arresting Pavlichenko" on television.
The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union has expressed its concern about these allegations and Pavlichenko is now subject to international financial sanctions among with several other Belarusian senior officials and politicians.