15 August, 2020 | TUT.BY, NEWSru, EURORADIO
On 15 August, the Associated Press news agency published a still from a video taken on the second day of Minsk protests, 10 August. It most likely captures the moment of death of Alexander Taraikovsky, whose funeral took place on Saturday. The man was identified by his wife Elena German. The published image disproves the official version of the cause of Taraikovsky’s death.
The Conflict Intelligence Team examined the video from the scene in Minsk where the 34-year-old protestor died. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he intended to throw an explosive at the law enforcement officers, but it detonated in his hand, leading to fatal injuries. Relatives and friends of the protestor do not believe this version.
When watching the footage frame by frame, there appears to be a flash of gunfire from the law enforcers’ side, then the protestor wobbles and falls sideways.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the only person who died during the protests in Belarus was killed after attempting to throw an unidentified explosive device at the law enforcement officers – which went off in his hands. However, the footage of the incident does not show an explosion, nor its traces or flashes, and Mr. Taraikovsky’s hands are intact.
His funeral took place on Saturday, 15 August. Thousands of people gathered to commemorate his memory near Pushkinskaya underground station, the site of his death. Mr. Taraikovsky left behind his wife and 3-year-old daughter.
