Mikhail Mikalayevich Chigir ( be, Міхаіл Мікалаевіч Чыгір; russian: Михаил Николаевич Чигирь; born 24 May 1948) is a Belarusian politician who served as the second
Prime Minister of Belarus
The prime minister of the Republic of Belarus (; ) is the deputy head of government of Belarus. Until 1991, it was known as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic as the head of the government of t ...
from 21 July 1994 to 18 November 1996.
Early life
Chigir was born in
Usovo (Belarusian: Vusava) on 24 May 1948.
Career
Chigir was appointed as Prime Minister in July 1994, on the day following the inauguration of
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лукашенко, Aleksandr Grigoryevich Luk ...
as president. Prior to this, he served as head of Belagroprombank, a bank specializing in agricultural pursuits.
Resignation
In 1996, Chigir resigned as prime minister in protest of Lukashenko's efforts to gain unlimited authority over the country. The following year he became a signatory of
Charter 97
Charter 97 ( be, Хартыя'97; russian: Хартия'97) is a declaration calling for democracy in Belarus and a pro- human rights news site taking its inspiration from the declaration. The document – the title of which deliberately echoes th ...
. In 1999, he announced he would run for President of Belarus in order to unseat Lukashenko.
Arrest
On 30 March 1999, Chigir was arrested by the Belarusian government. It was alleged that he embezzled large sums of money involving loans while in charge of Belagroprombank. Chigir argued that the loans were not due to be repaid until after he was no longer with the bank, thus the money did not involve him. Prior to Chigir's arrest, several other officials who had been attempting to organize a
campaign against Lukashenko were continuously repressed by the government, including
Viktar Hanchar
Viktar Hanchar, or Viktar Hančar ( be, Віктар Ганчар, russian: Виктор Гончар, Viktor Gonchar, September 7, 1957 – September 16, 1999?) was a Belarusian politician who disappeared and was presumably murdered in 1999. He w ...
, who was arrested and later disappeared and eventually presumed murdered, allegedly under the order of someone close to the President. Chigir's arrest received negative reactions from governments around the world and his release was demanded by the
US State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
, the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
and the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, pro ...
. Additionally,
Amnesty International demanded his release and deemed him a
prisoner of conscience. The
International League for Human Rights
The International League for Human Rights (ILHR) is a human rights organization with headquarters in New York City.
Claiming to be the oldest human rights organization in the United States, the ILHR defines its mission as "defending human right ...
also protested his arrest. Chigir ultimately avoided jail time, receiving a three-year suspended sentence with a two-year probationary period.
Following the trial, he stated his intention to run for election to the
House of Representatives of Belarus.
See also
*
Politics of Belarus
The politics of Belarus takes place in a framework of a presidential republic with a bicameral parliament. The President of Belarus is the head of state. Executive power is nominally exercised by the government, at its top sits a ceremo ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chigir, Mikhail
1948 births
Living people
People from Kapyl District
Prime Ministers of Belarus
Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Belarus
Belarusian prisoners and detainees
Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation alumni
Belarus State Economic University alumni