Widows of the oppositionists abducted in Belarus have made a statement related to the death of Aleh Byabenin.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE!

We do not believe that Aleh Byabenin is no longer with us.

We do not believe that he could have done that.

We do not believe that he could leave his family, parents, friends.

We do not believe that he left the task he concerned himself with for several years, without bringing it to fruition.

He was with us always – from the beginning of the tragedy which happened to us: disappearance of Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski, Zmitser Zavadski. He was with us at demonstrations, rallies, press-conferences, meetings, trials. He stood close when we were tired of despair and pain, were sitting in a circle of friends and spoke about affairs which are far from politics: about children, family, love, art.

He helped us to survive, to become stronger, to fight for the truth. We have done a lot together, but we have not brought to conclusion what we had started yet. We know that the truth will be revealed, and justice will be administered when the current regime will fall.

Aleh is no longer with us – and now it’s our turn to fight for the truth about his death.

We do not believe that this case would be investigated under the current regime, as it happens to the cases of disappearances of politicians and public leaders, as the death of Henadz Karpenka. But we believe that Belarus will become free and names of its heroes would be written in its history.

Forgive us, Aleh, that we have not managed to protect you from harm.

Iryna Krasovskaya and Svyatlana Zavadskaya