Anatol Kotau vanished after traveling to Turkey three months ago. His family and the opposition believe he was kidnapped by Belarusian or Russian security services and are now pinning their hopes on US diplomatic intervention.
LONDON – The wife of a missing Belarusian dissident is appealing to the US government for help, fearing her husband has been abducted by state security forces and hoping his release can be secured by President Donald Trump’s special envoy.
Anatol Kotau, a 45-year-old former senior official who became a prominent opposition figure, disappeared on August 21 after flying from Warsaw to Istanbul. After exchanging messages with his wife, Anastasia, he ceased all communication.
His disappearance has sparked allegations of a transnational kidnapping by Belarus or its ally, Russia. “If Kotau is indeed detained in Belarus, then I have great hope for the American negotiations,” Anastasia told Reuters in a phone interview, asking to be identified only by her first name. “I would really like for my husband’s name to be included on the lists for release.”
From Insider to ‘Extremist’
Kotau was once a top sports official and a member of President Alexander Lukashenko’s administration. He resigned in protest after the disputed 2020 election and the brutal crackdown on subsequent protests, fleeing with his family to Poland.
In exile, he remained active in the opposition movement. This year, a Belarusian court sentenced him in absentia to 12 years in prison on “extremist” charges, and he was also added to a Russian wanted list.
A Trail Gone Cold
Anastasia said her husband’s trip to Turkey was unexplained, and he had a return ticket booked for three days later. According to information she received from Turkish authorities, Kotau took a connecting flight to the Black Sea port of Trabzon and boarded a private yacht headed for Sochi, Russia—a journey she finds implausible given his wanted status.
Belarusian authorities told Kotau’s mother he was not in their custody but reminded her of his prison sentence. Russian border guards did not respond to inquiries. Pro-Lukashenko figures on social media have since insinuated he is in prison.
The ‘KGB Shadow’ and a Diplomatic Hope
Opposition leaders believe Kotau was deliberately targeted. “Definitely there is a KGB shadow, a KGB trace here,” said Franak Viacorka, a senior aide to opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
They are now urging the US to intervene. John Coale, Trump’s special envoy, successfully negotiated the release of dozens of Belarusian political prisoners earlier this year. The opposition hopes Kotau can be included in a new round of talks.
For Anastasia, the wait is agonizing. “The situation is horrible,” she said, grappling with the uncertainty. “I no longer care why he went to Turkiye… The main goal is to find him.”
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