Every year on September 16th, the disappearance of the Belarusian opposition leader Viktor Gonchar and his friend businessman Anatoly Krasovsky who were kidnapped on September 16th 1999 In Minsk is commemorated all over the world.

On September 16th 2008 in Eindhoven, twin city of Minsk in years 1995-2012, four trees were planted to commemorate their disappearances as well as the disappearances of the other two prominent Belarusians: former Minister of Internal Affairs Yuri Zakharenko, disappeared on May 7th 1999 and journalist Dmitry Zavadsky, disappeared on July 7th 2000. Since then every year on September 16th the ceremony of commemoration of the four disappeared Belarusians takes place in front of the four trees at the Paradijslaan in Eindhoven.

This year the commemoration ceremony is taking place on Monday, September 16th, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the Paradijslaan in Eindhoven. Relatives of Anatoly Krasovsky, Yuri Zakharenko and Dmitry Zavadsky will be present at the event.

Irina Krasovskaya and Svetlana Zavadskaya (We Remember), Mary-Ann Schreurs (Municipality Eindhoven), Christie Midema (Amnesty International) and Wim Dekkers (FNV Bondgenoten) will speak. Poet Leo Mesman will read his poem Four trees which he dedicated to the disappeared Belarusians and which is engraved on the board at the memorial trees site. Catharina Boer will read her poem Torch which she wrote on the occasion of this year commemoration. Wives, children and grand-children of the disappeared Belarusians are expected to attend the event.

The event is open for attendance and is a joint initiative of FNV Bondgenoten, Amnesty International, We Remember and Mission to Minsk.

Official site of the event: www.vierbomen.nl