This organization tried to become a leader of the new Belarusian diaspora, which was created after the presidential elections in Belarus - at that time, many Belarusians fled to Ukraine from criminal persecution for participating in protest actions or in the election headquarters of alternative candidates.

Svaboda found out whether the investigation has progressed in the case of the death of Vitaly Shyshov and what version the investigators settled on.

The investigation continues, the qualification has not changed

The Kyiv police, under the supervision of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office, continue the investigation into the death of Vitaly Shyshov, head of the "Belarusian House in Ukraine" public organization.

"The qualification of the event has not changed.

The investigation, as before, is being conducted according to Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office informed Svaboda.

In the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Article 115 has two parts: murder, intentional unlawful causing of death to another person (punishable by imprisonment from 7 to 15 years) and intentional murder under various circumstances, including a hostage or abducted person, for selfish or hooligan motives. , committed by order and under other circumstances (punishable by imprisonment for a term of 10 to 15 years or life with confiscation of property).

Now, as noted in the city prosecutor's office, the investigators are waiting for a "generalized response from foreign colleagues based on the results of investigative searches conducted by them together with Ukrainian law enforcement officers."

These investigative actions were carried out last year on the territory of Ukraine, and foreigners came to take part in them.

"That's all we can say now," added the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office.

The results of expert examinations are not announced

At the beginning of July, Svaboda made an official request to the Office of the Prosecutor General and the National Police of Ukraine to learn the details of the investigation.

At least, it was known that the investigation had already received the conclusions of foreign experts based on the conducted forensic medical examinations.

There were several of them:

• fingerprint,

• molecular genetic,

• traceological,

• forensic medicine,

• comprehensive examination of materials, substances and objects,

• post-mortem psychological and psychiatric examination.

According to Ukrainian law, state structures had to respond to official requests within five working days.

But Svoboda has not received an answer so far.

Behavioral specialists were involved in the investigation

In December 2021, the head of the main office of the National Police in Kyiv, Ivan Vygovsky, told reporters that for the first time in practice, foreign specialists in the field of behavior were invited to fully investigate the circumstances of Vitaly Shyshov's death and receive consultations in the field of behavioral analysis to participate in investigative activities.

From which countries, he did not specify: they say, they themselves asked that this information not be distributed.

According to Ivan Vygovski, foreign specialists had to make a psychological portrait of Vitaly Shyshov, characterize his condition and analyze the testimony given by the witnesses during the interrogations.

Presumably, it was this advisory opinion that the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office had in mind when they said they were expecting a generalized answer from foreign specialists.

They have not received it yet.

At the same time, Ivan Vygovskii reported that the investigation is primarily considering the version of suicide, but does not rule out the option that Shyshov was "helped".

They did not have time to publish the results of the independent investigation

A few days after the death of Vitaly Shishov, the head of the investigation department of the Bellingcat international group,

, said that the group would conduct its own investigation.

Its results were announced for the beginning of 2022, but were also not published, because Russia invaded Ukraine and a full-scale war began.

Bellingcat decided to undertake an independent investigation after they noticed in Kiev among emigrants from Belarus some people who were working on their other projects and were connected to the Federal Security Service of Russia.

"Since we saw these people in other roles... The same people who appeared in criminal groups, then appeared as experts on television, in Belarus as members of one of the most active opposition groups, and then in Kyiv among emigrants from of Belarus.

We are now checking the intersection, perhaps, of these people who are connected to the FSB," said Hristo Grozev in an interview with Ukrainian journalists.

The mysterious death of Shishov

Vital Shyshov, one of the founders of "Belarusian House in Ukraine", went missing on the morning of August 2 in Kyiv, where he moved from Belarus in the fall of 2020.

According to friends, in the morning he went for a run, as usual, but did not return.

Shyshov was the administrator of the "Belarusian House in Ukraine" telegram channel, and also administered the organization's website.

His associates claimed that he prepared actions, appeals, filmed and edited videos from actions in Kyiv.

Helped refugees from Belarus with food and things.

He worked as a freelance programmer, and in his free time from work and Belarusian affairs, he played sports.

On August 3, 2021, he was found hanged in Sviatoshinsky Park in Kyiv, not far from the house where he lived.

Representatives of the "Belarusian House in Ukraine" found the body and resumed their search in the morning.

There were traces of beatings on Shyshov's face.

Shishov's phone was found next to the body.

Vitaly Shyshov had bruises on his lip, knees and chest, characteristic, as the police claimed, of a single fall.

Under the tree, they found three stumps 60, 50 and 50 centimeters high.

The police drew attention to the inconsistency in the height of the deceased, the height of the branch on which the body was hanging, and the length of the rope, which gave them reason to suspect suicide.

Six months after the death of Vitaly Shyshov, most of his associates, who were repeatedly interrogated by investigators, left Ukraine for Poland.

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SAFE

The death of Vitaly Shyshov.

What is known

• Vital Shyshov, one of the founders and formal head of the "Belarusian House in Ukraine", disappeared on the morning of August 2 in Kyiv, where he moved from Belarus in the fall of 2020.

  According to his friends, he usually went for a run in the morning and did not return.

• Shyshov administered the telegram channel "Belarusian House in Ukraine" and the website of this organization.

  Friends claim that he participated in the preparation of actions, appeals, filmed and edited videos from actions.

  Helped refugees from Belarus with products and things.

  He worked as a freelance programmer, and in his free time from work and Belarusian affairs, he played sports.

• On the third of August, he was found hanged in the Sviatoshinsky Park of Kyiv, not far from his home.

  Representatives of the "Belarusian House in Ukraine" came across the body on the second day of the search.

  There were traces of beatings on Shyshov's face, an expert examination was ordered.

• The former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, expressed his confidence on his Facebook that Shyshov was killed by Belarusian special services, and asked whether Ukrainians can trust their special services if they cannot prevent attacks on opponents of the Lukashenko regime who are fleeing persecution in Ukraine.

  At the same time, the head of the investigation department of Bellingcat, Hristo Grozev, stated that Russian FSB employees were integrated into Belarusian opposition structures in Ukraine under cover;

  he also did not rule out that Shyshov was killed.

• The representative of "Belarusian House in Ukraine" Yury Shchuchko said that the activists of "Belarusian House in Ukraine" received information, including from the SBU, that representatives of Belarusian special services are coming to Ukraine "to physically destroy our active members."

• Shyshov's associates report that he repeatedly noticed that he was being watched.

• On August 3, the head of the National Police of Ukraine, Ihar Klimenko, named two main versions of the Belarusian's death, which his department is considering: suicide and murder with imitation of suicide.

  And he also said that Shyshov himself never turned to the police with reports about his surveillance.

• Shyshov's girl - Bazhena Zholudz, who comes from Rechytsia, recalled that Vitaly had bad premonitions in recent weeks, she also remembered that strangers approached her in the center of Kyiv, as it turned out, to shoot on video.

  She did not notice suicidal thoughts in her boyfriend.