BANDAZHEVSKY RELEASED

UNCLAS MINSK 000941

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL BO
SUBJECT: BANDAZHEVSKY RELEASED



1. Summary: Chernobyl researcher and doctor of
radiology Yuri Bandazhevsky was released on August 5
after serving six years of chimia (supervised labor in a
rural area),but he will remain on probation for another
five months. Many viewed Bandazhevsky's trial and eight-
year sentence for bribery as politically motivated
punishment in response to the doctor's research on
severe health effects on people living in Chernobyl-
contaminated areas, which showed the GOB was doing
little to mitigate these effects. Bandazhevsky plans to
continue his scientific research, but only as far as the
government will let him. He is now with relatives in
Minsk. End Summary.


2. On August 5, former director of the Gomel Medical
Institute (GMI) Yuri Bandazhevsky was released from
prison after serving six years for allegedly accepting a
bribe. Late in the night of July 13, 1999, police
arrested Bandazhevsky at his home and whisked him away
to an unknown location. One month passed before
authorities announced that Bandazhevsky was being held
at a pre-trial detention center in Mogilev, 200 km north
of Gomel. At his trial, the prosecutor cited testimony
from his former colleague and deputy director of GMI
Vladimir Ravkov, saying he witnessed Bandazhevsky
accepting bribe money. However, Ravkov later claimed he
gave the testimony while under the influence of powerful
psychotropic drugs and investigators failed to locate
the alleged money Bandazhevsky received or the people
who bribed him. Despite the lack of evidence, the court
sentenced Bandazhevsky to eight years in a maximum-
security prison in Grodno.


3. Many believe the GOB punished Bandazhevsky because
his research on the effects of radionuclides on the
health of people living in contaminated zones
contradicted the government's less-alarming research.
After extensive cardiographs of affected children and
analysis of organs from deceased residents, Bandazhevsky
concluded that as a result of the Chernobyl fallout the
contaminated areas witnessed four times as many cardio-
vascular problems among the population and that 10 - 30
times higher concentration of Cesium-137 in vital organs
was responsible for increased rates of disease,
mutation, and fetus abnormalities. [Note: Lukashenko has
been telling the public that it is safe to live in the
contaminated zones and to produce agricultural products
on the affected land.]


4. In the spring of 1999, Bandazhevsky sat on a
committee in charge of monitoring radiation treatment
and controlling government funds for research and
treatment. Bandazhevsky wrote a report blaming the GOB,
particularly the National Security Committee and
President Lukashenko, for not taking responsibility for
citizens' health and citing how only six percent of
available funds was given to the Radiological Medical
Institute. Not long after his report, three committees
from the Ministry of Health inspected GMI's facilities,
but did not find any violations. He was arrested
shortly afterwards.


5. Bandazhevsky's early release was a surprise to many.
In January, the parole board denied him early release
because Bandazhevsky refused to admit his guilt and pay
litigation fees. The next date for a possible release
was not until Spring 2006. Under amnesty laws enacted
in 2002 and 2004, his sentence was shortened by two
years.


6. While imprisoned, Bandazhevsky continued to write
scientific reports and articles and wrote a novel
entitled "The Philosophy of My Life", which has been
translated into French and will soon be published.
Bandazhevsky plans to continue his scientific research,
but only as much as authorities would allow. His plans
include opening a private laboratory in cooperation with
France's CRIIRAD (a commission for independent research
and information on radioactivity) to continue research
into cesium radionuclides. Bandazhevsky also hinted at
researching effects on the health of people living in
difficult and stressful conditions [i.e., prison]. At
the moment, he is currently living with relatives in
Minsk.

KROL