Ukrainian citizen abducted, Belarus suspends investigation

Belarusian right defenders have suspended the check-up of the abduction of Ukrainian citizen Pavel Grib from Homel, Belarus. The complaint was lodged by Pavel’s father Ivan Grib. Homel Department of the Interior is in charge of the check-up, Belarusian Minister of Internal Affairs Kanstantsin Shalkevich told Radio Liberty.

"Inquiries have been sent to the Russian Federation. The check-up has been suspended until we get the replies. The final decision has not been made yet,” Shalkevich clarified.

Ukrainian citizen Pavel Grib went to Homel to meet a Russian acquaintance and disappeared in September. He was found in FSB prison in Krasnodar, Russia. Pavel Grib had been planning to blow up a bomb at a back-to-school meeting in Sochi, Russian investigators announced. Pavel was abducted from Belarus by the Russian FSB, his father thinks.

His wife attended a preliminary hearing in court, Ivan Grib told journalists. “She was not allowed to meet Pavel. He is not allowed to receive letters and to meet us. We are hoping to see him at the hearing on December 19. We have not been able to contact him so far. He is isolated. Nothing is known about the conditions in prison. It is forbidden to discuss leaving conditions even with consuls.”

Pavel’s last meeting with the Ukrainian consul was only 7 minutes long, Ivan Grib said. The detention centre administration stopped the meeting because the detained and the consul were speaking Ukrainian.