A former member of a Belarusian special unit facing allegations of involvement in the disappearances of prominent opposition figures has been acquitted by a Swiss court. This trial signifies the first instance where a Swiss court has tackled a case related to enforced disappearance.
The defendant had sought asylum in Switzerland, citing threats to his life in Belarus due to his openness about his association with the special unit known as SOBR, responsible for the disappearance of opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko.
Following a two-day hearing last week, the District Court in Rorshach, northeastern Switzerland, delivered its verdict, acquitting the man. The court stated, “Due to the defendant’s contradictory statements, his actual involvement in the disappearances of Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, and Anatoly Krasovsky in 1999 cannot be considered legally proven.”
Moreover, the court could not establish the Belarus government’s involvement in the disappearances beyond reasonable doubt since it was not represented in the proceedings. To protect the defendant’s identity, a 45-year-old man, his name has not been disclosed due to Swiss reporting restrictions.
This case revolves around the 1999 disappearance of former interior minister Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, a former deputy prime minister, and businessman Anatoly Krasovsky. Belarusian authorities refused to cooperate in locating them.
Although the man, arrested in 2021 and formally charged last year, admitted to being involved in detaining the three men, he denied either ordering or executing their murders. This trial marks the first time an enforced disappearance case has been prosecuted in Switzerland under the principle of universal jurisdiction, enabling states to pursue individuals suspected of committing international crimes, regardless of their nationality or the location of the offenses.
In an interview published earlier this month, the accused acknowledged his role in the arrests but maintained that he had not issued orders for, or carried out, the murders, stating, “I was merely a witness to them.”
