Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MINSK1002
2006-09-13 11:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
GOB DENIES ACCESS TO KOZULIN, ANONYMOUS LETTER
how-toVZCZCXRO8335 RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHSK #1002 2561152 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 131152Z SEP 06 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY MINSK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5085 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1277 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 001002
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO
SUBJECT: GOB DENIES ACCESS TO KOZULIN, ANONYMOUS LETTER
CLAIMS POISONING
REF: MINSK 731
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 001002
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO
SUBJECT: GOB DENIES ACCESS TO KOZULIN, ANONYMOUS LETTER
CLAIMS POISONING
REF: MINSK 731
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On September 8, the Embassy received a diplomatic note
from the MFA in response to the Embassy's August 10 request
for access to former opposition presidential candidate
Aleksandr Kozulin in prison. Charge had traveled to the
prison to seek access to Kozulin August 30, but was told that
the judge in the case had not granted permission. Attached
to the MFA's diplomatic note was a letter signed by Aleksey
V. Rybakov (see translated text para 3),the judge who
presided over Kozulin's trial (reftel). Rybakov formally
denied foreign diplomats access to Kozulin, citing Article
369 of Belarus' Administrative Procedural Code, which allows
visitation of convicted prisoners by family members and close
relatives. However, the article does not explicitly exclude
others from prison access. (Note: The Embassy also requested
in a separate diplomatic note access to imprisoned
independent NGO Partnership leaders Nikolay Astreyko and
Timofey Dranchuk but has received no official response. On
September 5, family mem
bers of Astreyko and Dranchuk reported that authorities have
denied them visitation. End note.)
2. (C) The MFA's note preceded independent media reports
regarding a letter purportedly from a group of anonymous BKGB
officers who allege that authorities have been poisoning
Kozulin's drinking water at Minsk's Volodarskogo detention
center. Kozulin's close confidante Oleg Volchek and
Kozulin's wife Irina Kozulina voiced identical allegations to
Poloffs on August 30 and 31, respectively. However, family
members of Astreyko and Dranchuk, who are also imprisoned at
the Volodarskogo detention center, expressed skepticism to
Poloffs about the allegations. Regardless, we will continue
to seek prison access to the former presidential candidate
and the Partnership activists as part of our efforts to
maintain the international spotlight on the repressive nature
of the Lukashenko regime.
3. (C) Begin unofficial translation of Ministry of Justice
response
To: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
From: The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus,
Moskovksy District Court
09/04/2006
Outgoing Number: (Missing, which means the letter was not
properly logged in the court books; a violation of GOB
protocol.)
This is to inform that it is impossible to allow
representatives of the American Embassy to visit Aleksandr
Vyacheslavovich Kozulin, a Belarusian citizen who is
currently in detention in connection with a pending criminal
case at the Investigative Detention Center No.1 of the
Penitentiary Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
of the Republic of Belarus. Current legislation does not
envisage visits by members of foreign representations of
Belarusian citizens-defendants who are in detention. In
accordance with Article 369 of the Criminal-Procedural Code
of the Republic of Belarus, after the announcement of the
verdict and upon their request, family members and close
relatives are provided with an opportunity to meet with the
defendant.
Judge of Moskovsky District Court of Minsk
A.V. Rybakov
Moore
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO
SUBJECT: GOB DENIES ACCESS TO KOZULIN, ANONYMOUS LETTER
CLAIMS POISONING
REF: MINSK 731
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On September 8, the Embassy received a diplomatic note
from the MFA in response to the Embassy's August 10 request
for access to former opposition presidential candidate
Aleksandr Kozulin in prison. Charge had traveled to the
prison to seek access to Kozulin August 30, but was told that
the judge in the case had not granted permission. Attached
to the MFA's diplomatic note was a letter signed by Aleksey
V. Rybakov (see translated text para 3),the judge who
presided over Kozulin's trial (reftel). Rybakov formally
denied foreign diplomats access to Kozulin, citing Article
369 of Belarus' Administrative Procedural Code, which allows
visitation of convicted prisoners by family members and close
relatives. However, the article does not explicitly exclude
others from prison access. (Note: The Embassy also requested
in a separate diplomatic note access to imprisoned
independent NGO Partnership leaders Nikolay Astreyko and
Timofey Dranchuk but has received no official response. On
September 5, family mem
bers of Astreyko and Dranchuk reported that authorities have
denied them visitation. End note.)
2. (C) The MFA's note preceded independent media reports
regarding a letter purportedly from a group of anonymous BKGB
officers who allege that authorities have been poisoning
Kozulin's drinking water at Minsk's Volodarskogo detention
center. Kozulin's close confidante Oleg Volchek and
Kozulin's wife Irina Kozulina voiced identical allegations to
Poloffs on August 30 and 31, respectively. However, family
members of Astreyko and Dranchuk, who are also imprisoned at
the Volodarskogo detention center, expressed skepticism to
Poloffs about the allegations. Regardless, we will continue
to seek prison access to the former presidential candidate
and the Partnership activists as part of our efforts to
maintain the international spotlight on the repressive nature
of the Lukashenko regime.
3. (C) Begin unofficial translation of Ministry of Justice
response
To: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
From: The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus,
Moskovksy District Court
09/04/2006
Outgoing Number: (Missing, which means the letter was not
properly logged in the court books; a violation of GOB
protocol.)
This is to inform that it is impossible to allow
representatives of the American Embassy to visit Aleksandr
Vyacheslavovich Kozulin, a Belarusian citizen who is
currently in detention in connection with a pending criminal
case at the Investigative Detention Center No.1 of the
Penitentiary Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
of the Republic of Belarus. Current legislation does not
envisage visits by members of foreign representations of
Belarusian citizens-defendants who are in detention. In
accordance with Article 369 of the Criminal-Procedural Code
of the Republic of Belarus, after the announcement of the
verdict and upon their request, family members and close
relatives are provided with an opportunity to meet with the
defendant.
Judge of Moskovsky District Court of Minsk
A.V. Rybakov
Moore