Ihar Hermianchuk

Ihar Hermjantschuk ( born January 1, 1961 in Strakawitschy at Swetlahorsk, Belorussian SSR, Soviet Union, † April 29, 2002 in Minsk ) was an oppositional Belarusian politician and journalist, editor in chief of the Minsk opposition newspaper " Swaboda " (Freedom) and the " Kurjer " Magazine.

Training

Ihar Hermjantschuk studied at the Belarusian State University in Minsk journalism.

Political activity

In the last years of the Soviet Union Hermjantschuk dedicated for Belarusian independence and became a member of the opposition Belarusian Popular Front ( BNF ). In 1990 he was age 29, one of the youngest MPs in the history of the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR. In 1995, he resigned in protest against the initiated by President Alexander Lukashenko referendum on the state symbols and the official language of the Republic of Belarus together with other members of the BNF in hunger strike. Lukashenko sought by the referendum on the abolition of vorsowjetische on the time and the Belarusian independence movement declining state symbols, as well as an appreciation of the Russian the second official language. On the night of 12 April 1995, the hunger strike was violently suppressed. The BNF MPs were abused by its own account of the security forces.

Journalistic activity

Ihar Hermjantschuk was chief editor of the newspaper " Swaboda ", which was under his leadership became an important Belarusian opposition media. Because of dissident publications was determined four times against Hermjantschuk. 1997 Swaboda deprived of newspaper license. However, one year later Hermjantschuk launched a new project under the name Nawiny ( German news ).

Death

Ihar Hermjantschuk died of cancer in 2002.