[CivilSoc] Briefing on Belarus and Ukraine in Warsaw

Thu, 13 Sep 2001 18:08:59 -0700 (PDT)

From: International League for Human Rights <[email protected]>
Subject: Briefing on Belarus and Ukraine in Warsaw
Dear Colleagues,
Below please find an invitation to attend a briefing titled "Unsolved
Cases: Belarus and Ukraine," which will take place in Warsaw, on
September 21, during the annual Human Dimension Implementation
Meeting of OSCE ODIHR.
_______________________________________
September 17, 2001
Dear Delegates,
We would like to invite you and/or other members of your delegation
to the briefing "Unsolved Cases: Belarus and Ukraine" which is a
unique opportunity to hear from the wives of prominent men who have
disappeared in Belarus under mysterious circumstances, as well as
Myroslava Gongadze, the wife of a known Ukrainian journalist, Georgi
Gongadze, whose murder in September 2000 sparked a political
firestorm in Ukraine.
		Unsolved Cases: Belarus and Ukraine
		13:00-15:00, Friday, September 21, 2001
		Hotel "VICTORIA"  (Meeting Room 1)
		Lunch will be provided
The Karpenko Foundation, which unites the wives of the disappeared in
BelarusLiudmila Karpenko, Svetlana Zavadskaya, Olga Zakharenko, Iryna
Krasovskaya, Zinaida Gonchar and Tatyana Leonovich-Klimovawas founded
in 1999.  Since then, the Foundation has organized numerous public
gatherings demanding a thorough and transparent investigation into
the disappearances; published three pamphlets on the cases;
participated in several trips abroad, including to Washington D.C.
and Paris, to meet with officials and hold press-conferences.
Myroslava Gongadze is the widow of an outspoken opposition
journalist, Georgi Gongadze, who disappeared on September 16, 2000
and whose beheaded body was later discovered in Kiev's suburbs. Audio
cassettes secretly taped by the bodyguard of the President of Ukraine
Kuchma, indicated possible involvement of the highest Ukrainian
government officials in Georgi's murder, as well as in other criminal
actions on silencing journalists, lawyers and politicians who tried
to expose corruption or refused to follow criminal orders.  Ever
since the tragedy, Myroslava directed all her efforts to media
campaign demanding open and lawful investigation of the case
including proper identification of the body which has not been
accomplished to-date. She has given over 300 interviews, for both
Ukrainian and foreign media, and organized over 15 press-conferences.
If you have any questions please contact Helsinki Foundation for
Human Rights (ask for Jacqueline Kacprzak, tel. 828-10-08, 828-69-96
or mobile 0-602/254-656 or representative of International League for
Human Rights: Peter Zalmayev [email protected])
Sincerely,
Catherine A. Fitzpatrick		Marek Nowicki
Executive Director 			President of the Board
International League for Human Rights	Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights