Buzek Urges to Organize Transparent Investigation of Journalist's Death

06.09.2010 09:51
Архив Редакция

President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, expressed concern about the death of opposition Belarusian journalist, founder and head of Charter 97 website, Oleg Bebenin. He urged Belarusian authorities to organize an objective investigation of the circumstances and causes of the journalist's death. It was reported by Polish mass media.

«I urge Belarusian authorities to conduct a full and transparent investigation of Oleg Bebenin’s death, which is to clarify the circumstances of his tragic death», Jerzy Buzek stated, Belarus partisan informs.

Sannikov was summoned to the prosecutor’s office

On September 5, the leader of European Belarus civil campaign, aspirant for presidency, Andrei Sannikov, was summoned for questioning in Minsk regional prosecutor’s office under the case of Oleg Bebenin’s death.

«I was summoned for interrogation, though they already announced the official version of Oleg’s death. They demand to produce a car found near Oleg’s cottages to examine it, and they intend to interrogate me, but I was questioned at the scene. I and Oleg’s brother drove the car away from the cottage, after we had repeatedly asked the police, leave it or take. The car was checked and no items were seized. We were told that it was «better to take it», Andrei Sannikov said, Charter 97 informs.

He believes that General Prosecutor ‘s Office’s participation in the investigation of journalist’s death testifies the groundlessness of suicide version. «Everything is to develop according to the worked scenario: searches, confiscation, intimidation, pressure, but not the investigation of the circumstances of the journalist’s death. Dictatorial service got used to persecute the opposition, rather than performs their professional affairs», the politician declared.

There is no cause for suicide, Bondarenko

The coordinator of Charter 97 website, Dmitry Bondarenko, a colleague of Oleg Bebenin also doubts in his suicide. «Oleg Bebenin was not just a journalist. In a possible Belarusian presidential campaign, he was supposed to be one of the leaders of the staff of opposition presidential candidate, Andrei Sannikov. And suddenly a man commits suicide. There is no cause for such a conduct. There is no suicide note, no problems at work, there is a beloved wife, sons, parents, brother. The man gathers his friends for the premiere of the movie. His latest sms, as we know, he sent, was about that he would come to October cinema at 8 p.m. And then, the man suddenly disappears almost for one day, does not answer phone calls», the journalist stressed.

According to him, there are serious discrepancies in the time of the death. Thus law enforcement officers, including an expert criminologist, who came to the summer cottage, recorded that he had died about 2 p.m. on September 3. But death certificate, issued to the family, reads that the date of death is September 2. «That is a discrepancy of more than 15 hours», Dmitry Bondarenko underlined.

The journalist also noted that Oleg Bebenin had planned a meeting in the afternoon of September 2. «We are trying to find whom he was supposed to meet with, and if he met», Dmitry Bondarenko stated.

Moreover, according to him, biochemical analysis of tissues, certain organs and body liquids will be known only on September 8. «There are plenty of other moments that make us doubt that Oleg died voluntarily», the coordinator of Charter 97website said.

Farewell with Bebenin will be held on September 6

Civil funeral rites with Oleg Bebenin to be held on September 6 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Minsk. It will take place in the hall of funeral services at 12 Olshevsky str.

As Telegraf previously reported, the body of opposition journalist, founder of Charter 97 website, Oleg Bebenin, was found on September 3 at his summer cottage near Minsk. The causes and circumstances of the journalist’s death are not known yet. Sources in law enforcement bodies say that «there are no reasons to speak about criminal version of Bebenin’s death so far».

Forensic medical examination found that the cause of the death of Belarusian opposition journalist Oleg Bebenin was a suicide. It was announced on September 4 by the prosecutor of Dzerzhinsk district, Minsk region, Sergei Kovrigin. «An autopsy of Oleg Bebenin has just completed. The examination confirmed the suicide version», Sergei Kovrigin informed.

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