Killings ordered by Lukashenko in the focus of a court in Switzerland
Today, 22 September 2026, St. Gallen is hosting the appeal hearing in the case of Yury Harauski, connected with the enforced disappearances of Belarusian opposition politicians Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski in 1999.
TRIAL International, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Centre "Viasna" played an important role in bringing the case before a Swiss court.
"The significance of this trial goes far beyond the case against one of the perpetrators of the killings. It is not only a matter of restoring the right of the victims' families to truth and justice, but also important practical experience in applying universal jurisdiction, a mechanism that makes it possible to seek accountability for grave crimes when justice is unavailable in the country where they were committed.
This experience is of particular value for efforts to initiate similar proceedings in other countries as well.
I would like to recall that although Harauski was acquitted, the court of first instance found it established that Zakharanka, Hanchar and Krasouski were abducted and killed, and that representatives of the Belarusian authorities were involved in the crimes. And this has already become a historical fact recorded in the course of judicial proceedings," said Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the NAM.
The trial shows both the possibilities and the difficulties of this mechanism: how to collect and assess evidence decades later, verify the testimony of former members of the security forces, work with witnesses and victims, and ensure high-quality interpretation and compliance with fair trial standards.
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