Alleged Lukashenko henchman on trial in St Gallen
Keystone-SDA
The appeal trial of an alleged member of a Belarusian special forces unit has begun at the Cantonal Court of St Gallen in northeastern Switzerland. Relatives of missing opposition politicians from Belarus are seeking a conviction for enforced disappearance.
The 48-year-old Belarusian stated in a Swiss asylum application in 2019 that he had been involved in the murders of three opposition politicians in 1999 on behalf of the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko.
The trial centers on the offence of enforced disappearance, which has been enshrined in the Swiss Criminal Code since 2017. This section of the law is based on a United Nations convention.
+ Trial of Belarusian in St Gallen – a first for Switzerland
In September 2023, the Rorschach District Court acquitted the defendant at first instance on the grounds of contradictory statements and lack of evidence. Relatives of the politicians who disappeared at the time subsequently lodged an appeal as private prosecutors.
The appeal trial is being closely followed by numerous media outlets and rights NGOs.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
