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Opposition pushing for European Parliament's hearing on disappearances of Lukashenka's opponents

Belarusian opposition leaders will ask the European Parliament to hold a hearing on the unsolved disappearances of Alyaksandr Lukashenka's opponents in 1999 and 2000, Anatol Lyabedzka, leader of the United Civic Party, told reporters in Minsk on August 12, as quoted by BelaPAN.

A petition urging the European Union's legislative body to discuss the disappearances of opposition politicians Viktar Hanchar and Yury Zakharanka, businessman Anatol Krasowski and journalist Dzmitry Zavadski has been signed by more than 30 people, Mr. Lyabedzka said. Among the signatories are Uladzimir Nyaklyayew, Henadz Burawkin, Yury Khadyka, Viktar Ivashkevich, Stanislaw Shushkevich and Andrey Sannikaw.

The petition will be sent to European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek and the heads of the political groups. "We will be pushing for the hearing to take place this fall," Mr. Lyabedzka said.