Anatol Kotau, a dissident Belarusian sports official and founding member of the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation, went missing after arriving in Istanbul on August 21. Turkish media reported he flew to Trabzon the same day, where a private yacht reportedly awaited and transported him to Sochi, Russia. A Turkish police source said there were no problems with Kotau or his travel documents and that police records showed no disappearance report despite an electronic missing persons filing by his wife on August 25. Colleagues and his wife fear possible abduction, while BSSF confirmed his behavior was usual before the trip.
A Turkish police source in Trabzon said there were "no problems" with Kotau and the people accompanying him, and that "nothing seemed wrong" with his travel documents. Previously, Turkish police told DW they had no record of Kotau's disappearance in their systems, despite his wife filing a missing persons report electronically on August 25. The police source said there would be no reason for them to investigate once Kotau had left the country.
His missing persons report, which has been seen by DW, details phone messages between him and his wife on the day of his disappearance on August 21. At 12.26 p.m. Polish time, Kotau writes that he has landed at Istanbul Airport. His wife then asks him where he is staying. Just under two hours later, he replies: "I'll send it when I know." His last contact is said to be at 9.28 p.m. Polish time; a hotel address was never sent. BSSF Director Alexander Opeikin told DW that Kotau's behavior had been "usual" before his trip to Istanbul, which was due to last two to three days.
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