Mikhail Chigir

Mikhail Chigir
Prime Minister of Belarus
In office 21 July 1994 – 18 November 1996
President	Alexander Lukashenko
Preceded by	Vyachaslau Kebich
Succeeded by	Sergey Ling
Personal details
Born	24 May 1948 (age 67) Usovo

Mikhail Nikolayevich Chigir (Belarusian: Міхаіл Мікалаевіч Чыгір; born 24 May 1948) was the second Prime Minister of Belarus, serving from 21 July 1994 to 18 November 1996.

Early life

Chigir was born in Usovo on 24 May 1948.^[1]

Career

Chigir was appointed as Prime Minister in July 1994, on the day following the inauguration of Alexander Lukashenko as President.^[2] 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.^[3] 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, 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 European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Additionally, Amnesty International demanded his release and deemed him a prisoner of conscience.^[4] The International League for Human Rights also protested his arrest. Chigir ultimately avoided jail time, receiving a three-year suspended sentence with a two-year probationary period.^[5] Following the trial, he stated his intention to run for election to the House of Representatives of Belarus.

See also

• Politics of Belarus

References

1. "Index Ch". Rulers.org. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
2. "Mikhail Chigir: Background". International League for Human Rights. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
3. "Mikhail Chyhir (Chigir) - Businessman and Former Prime Minister". Belarus Miscellany. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
4. "Document - Belarus: Prisoner of Conscience: Mikhail Chigir". Amnesty International. 15 April 1999. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
5. Igor Grigoryev (21 July 2000). "Mikhail Chigir Won't Go to Jail. Belaruss Ex-Prime Minister Gets Three-Year Suspended Sentence". The Current Digest of the Russian Press. Retrieved 10 July 2012.