A Belarusian activist has been found dead days after going missing.
Vitaly Shishov, who led a Kiev-based organisation that helps Belarusians fleeing persecution, had been reported missing by his partner on Monday after not returning home from a run. He was found in a park in Ukraine.
Police said they have launched an investigation into a possible murder disguised as suicide.
‘Belarusian citizen Vitaly Shishov, who disappeared yesterday in Kyiv, was found hanged today in one of Kyiv’s parks, not far from his place of residence,’ the police statement said.
Shishov led the Belarusian House in Ukraine (BDU) group, which helps Belarusians find accommodation, jobs and legal advice, according to its website.
The organisation said on Monday it was not able to contact Shishov. It said Shishov had left his residence at 9am and was supposed to have returned an hour later.
According to Belarusian journalist Tadeusz Giczan, Shishov’s friends say he was recently followed before he went missing.
