KYIV, Ukraine — A Belarusian A worker in exile in Ukraine was found hanging in a park near his home in Kiev early Tuesday, and Ukrainian police said they had started a murder case.
Vitaly Shishov, who headed a Kiev-based organization that helps Belarusians fleeing persecution, was reported missing by his partner on Monday after failing to return home from a run.
Police said they had launched a criminal case for suspected murder, including an investigation into whether the attackers tried to disguise the murder as a suicide.
Shishov, 26, felt under constant surveillance since leaving Belarus last year participating in anti-government demonstrations, his colleagues said. She was warned about the potential dangers, including being kidnapped or killed.
Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have become safe havens for Belarusians during a crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko after a controversial election last year. Tens of thousands of people have been detained and opposition leaders are either in prison or living abroad.
“It is worrying that those who fled Belarus may still not be safe,” said Svyatlana Tsikhanovskaya, the opposition figure in exile, on Twitter.
Shishov’s death was reported by Belarus’ official news agency Belta, but Minsk officials did not comment otherwise. A Lukashenko spokesperson could not be reached.
Shishov’s friend Yuri Shuchko, who helped police identify the body, said Shishov had a broken nose. When asked about this, a police spokesperson declined to comment.
In May a disgruntled journalist, Roman Protasevich, was detained by Belarusian security forces after his flight was forced to land in Minsk. This week, a Belarusian athlete took refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo after overturning her team’s orders to return home from the Olympics. read more
pound the alarm
Shishov heads the Belarusian House in Ukraine (BDU) group, which helps Belarusians find housing, jobs and legal advice.
“We were repeatedly warned about all kinds of provocations, including kidnappings and liquidations, by local sources and our people in the Republic of Belarus,” the BDU said in a statement. “Vitaly treated these warnings with silliness and humor.”
Ihor, 24, a fellow Belarusian exile who has known Shishov since last October, told Reuters that Shishov knew he was under surveillance, that his car was being followed or that his girlfriend was being approached by strangers. It was when they were protesting in Kiev.
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“Lukashenko’s regime is at war, and he is at war. He is at war with anyone who can offer any resistance,” said Ihor, who gave only his first name.
Shishov “didn’t suffer from any psychological disorder, he was always very calm minded. So when he disappeared, we sounded the alarm because we knew he was not someone who could just disappear, get drunk or party somewhere,” Ihor said.
The organization said on Monday that it was unable to contact Shishov. It said Shishov had left his residence at 9 a.m. (1 a.m. ET) and was scheduled to return an hour later.
Belarusian authorities portray anti-government protesters as criminals or violent revolutionaries backed by the West, and have called the actions of their own law enforcement agencies justified and necessary.
When asked about Shishov’s death, UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Marta Hurtado said: “It adds another level to our concerns about what is happening in Belarus, although she said she did not know it was happening.” Was it related to politics or not?