"Confident they will be punished." Raman Bandarenka's sister — six years after his death
November 12 marks six years since the death of Raman Bandarenka. The perpetrators have still not been punished. Raman's cousin Volha Kucharenka told "Radio Svaboda" how the family is coping with this loss, why people continue to visit Raman's grave, and if there is hope for justice.
Volha Kucharenka against the backdrop of Raman Bandarenka's portrait. Archive photo
On November 11, 2020, 31-year-old Raman Bandarenka went out into the courtyard of his house, where people in civilian clothes were cutting down white-red-white ribbons, which had become a symbol of protests against Lukashenka. The men grabbed Raman, beat him, and took him to the police. The next day, he died in the hospital.
According to Raman's cousin, Volha Kucharenka, over the past six years, the family has, to some extent, learned to live with this loss. But the pain has not disappeared.
"Raman's mother and I are constantly in touch, constantly re-evaluating everything that happened, with the hope that the people who committed this crime will someday be punished," says Volha.
"This loss remains an unhealing wound for life"
Volha spoke about how Raman's mother lives now:
"She holds on, but, naturally, this loss remains an unhealing wound for life. Because no one, of course, can bring back a loved one, a dear son. No new meanings, goals, or activities."
According to Volha, even after six years, people visit Raman Bandarenka's grave in Belarus. They bring flowers, tidy up, and inform the relatives that they were there.
"Very often people write that they came, visited Raman, left flowers, tidied up. People remember. At night, Aunt Lena [Raman's mother] sent a message saying that she had just been at Raman's grave, and there were flowers there, and some candies people left, and both fresh and artificial flowers."
According to her, especially many people come on memorial dates — on Raman's birthday and on the anniversary of his death. For Raman's mother, this is not only moral but also practical support. If she cannot visit the grave herself, other people can check if everything is in order there and fix something if necessary.
"She understands that she is not alone with this tragedy, and even after so many years, she still sees that people are not indifferent, have not forgotten, and this is important to them," Volha emphasizes, adding that people also regularly write to Raman's mother and support her.
"This instills a lot of hope and even inspires that people are so open, honest, with such good human qualities."
Monument at Raman Bandarenka's grave. Photo: "Dapamoha"
Despite the fact that six years have already passed, according to Volha Kucharenka, the family knows nothing about any progress in the investigation into Raman's death.
"In this regard, it's a complete zero; no one has reported any progress there. There's nothing at all."
Among those possibly involved in the attack, the ByPol initiative named Dzmitry Baskau, then head of the Ice Hockey Federation, kickboxer Dzmitry Shakuta, and Lukashenka's press secretary Natallia Eismant. According to ByPol's investigation, Raman suffered fatal injuries inflicted by SAHR (Special Rapid Response Unit) fighters.
Raman's sister believes that real changes in the case can only occur after changes within Belarus itself. When asked if she understood who exactly was responsible for her brother's death, Volha answered affirmatively.
"Personally, for me, this doesn't require an investigation. Perhaps some nuances will still need to be clarified, but everything is clear to me; each individual is personally clear to me. This was known immediately. I am confident that they will be punished; the other question is time."
On November 12, 2020, 31-year-old Minsk resident Raman Bandarenka died under tragic circumstances. The resident of "Square of Changes" in Minsk (a courtyard at the intersection of Chervyakova, Kakhouskaya, and Smarhoski Trakt streets) was kidnapped and beaten by supporters of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who were cutting down white-red-white ribbons there.
Raman was brought to the hospital from the Central District Department of Internal Affairs (RUUS) in Minsk with cerebral edema and multiple injuries. He died the next day.
Who exactly killed Raman Bandarenka is unknown. However, among those present during the attack on November 11, 2020, Dzmitry Baskau, multiple world champion in Thai boxing and kickboxing Dzmitry Shakuta, and Lukashenka's press secretary Natallia Eismant were identified from surveillance camera footage.
Initially, the Investigative Committee of Belarus stated that Raman Bandarenka was allegedly drunk. Journalists and doctors later refuted this. On February 18, 2021, on the hundredth day after Raman's death, the Prosecutor General's Office informed his mother, Alena Bandarenka, that a criminal case had been initiated regarding her son's death. On September 17, 2021, the case was suspended "due to the failure to identify the person subject to prosecution as an accused."
On November 13, 2020, an article was published on the Tut.by portal stating, based on medical documents, that there was no alcohol in the blood of the deceased Raman Bandarenka. On November 19, the author of the article, journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich, and the doctor of the emergency medical hospital, Artsiom Sarokin, were detained. Katsiaryna Barysevich was sentenced to 6 months in a penal colony and a fine of 2900 rubles, and Dr. Artsiom Sarokin to two years with a one-year deferment and a fine of 1450 rubles.