BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

08/03/2007

Belarusians Denounce Reports as Safronov Death Investigation Continues

Belarusian authorities called reports Russian arms would be sold to the Middle East through Belarusian companies a "provocation," Interfax reports. That was the topic Kommersant reporter Ivan Safronov was working on at prior to his death. Vladimir Nestorovich, head of the press center of the state secretariat of the Belarusian Security Council, commented that "It was not the first attempt, and I don't think it will be the last attempt to discredit Belarus in the eyes of the international community."

Investigators are now examining the possibility that Safronov, who wrote about the military and space for Kommersant, was driven to suicide through poisoning or the use a psychotropic. The Taganka District Prosecutor's Office told the newspaper that histological tests were being performed to determine the presence of such substances in Safronov's blood or organs. Tests have already shown that there was no alcohol in Safronov's blood at the time of his death. There were no signs of gunshot, knife wounds or "physical agency" on Safronov's body and the journalist died of wounds consistent with a fall from a great height. He fell to his death from a window in the building he lived in on March 2.

Colleagues who spoke to him over the telephone on the day of his death report that Safronov seemed "not like himself," "sleepy," "downcast" and "slow." Safronov stated before his death that he was worried about being charged with disclosing state secrets in connection with his investigation of a scheme to deliver arms to Syria and Iran. He was buried at Khovanskoe Cemetery on March 7.

Source:

http://www.kommersant.com/p-10273/Ivan_Safronov_arms_sales/