Alyaksandr Budnitski, a worker at the Minsk Gear Plant, was last seen sleeping in a dormitory on August 11 before working the second shift. His colleagues learned about his whereabouts on August 31st. All this time his body was in the morgue. Why the death was not reported for several weeks is a mystery. The official date of Alyaksandr Budnitski’s death is August 12. The funeral took place in the afternoon of September 3 at Dukora Cemetery. Two dozen relatives and friends came to say goodbye to the deceased.
Funeral of Alyaksandr Budnitski. The man disappeared near the Riga shopping center on August 11, then he was found dead. Minsk, Belarus. September 3, 2020. Photo: Alyaksandr Vasyukovich / vot-tak.tv
Alyaksandr’s brother Valyantsin Budnitski is deeply offended by the fact that the relevant authorities have been silent for almost a month. He says he is waiting for an apology.
“The official version is alcohol poisoning. Of course, he had problems with alcohol, but he has a lean physique: he would have fallen from one glass of vodka, he would not have drunk any more,” Valyantsin said in a comment to vot-tak.tv.
According to him, Alyaksandr most likely had a blood clot. “When he lived in Smolensk, 5-6 years ago, he was ressuscitated twice. Once the pulmonary artery was blocked and the lung was badly damaged, but a good surgeon was found. The second time they put an intercepting device. Health problems resurfaced shortly before the disappearance. The secretary at the factory said that he had been feeling unwell for the last week: he had been left early from work, and an ambulance had arrived to the dormitory twice. He should have gone to the hospital,” he continued.
Valyantsin does not believe that Alyaksandr could have suffered at the protests — except by accident. However, there are no witnesses to this. According to Valyantsin, his brother was apolitical.
Alyaksandr’s ex-wife Iryna came with another brother of the deceased and his two nephews from Russia. They say they are taken aback by the fact that the police have been silent for almost a month. According to them, this only fires suspicions.
The body was officially found in the area of the Riga shopping center, where one of the hottest protest points was on August 10-11. The man lived nearby, on Batanichnaya Street, and could be there by chance or out of curiosity.
Barricades next to the Riga supermarket. Minsk, Belarus. August 10, 2020. Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Vot-tak.tv / Belsat.eu
Acquaintances of the deceased do not believe in non-violent death. One of them, Syarhei, clarified in a comment to vot-tak.tv that Alyaksandr was used to heavy physical activity, similar to his line of work. He shares Valyantsin’s opinion that the deceased could not take part in the protests, but adds that he could have been accidentally beaten by security forces.
Pavel Dabravolsky for Vot-tak.tv
