TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR INSULTING LUKASHENKO

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 001144

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREF BO
SUBJECT: TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR INSULTING LUKASHENKO


Classified By: Ambassador Karen Stewart for Reasons 1.4 (d).

Summary
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1. (SBU) In a politically motivated trial observed by
Poloff, a Minsk court sentenced a 60-year-old human rights
activist Yekaterina Sadovskaya to two years in prison for
allegedly insulting President Lukashenko by demanding he be
subjected to a mental examination. The court also fined her
USD 1,860 for allegedly insulting and threatening a judge.
Sadovskaya has a long history of human rights work in
Belarus, particularly in defending the rights of military
servicemen and their families. End summary.

Prosecution Secures a Conviction Despite Lack of Proof
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2. (U) On October 23, Minsk District Court sentenced human
rights activist Yekaterina Sadovskaya to two years in prison
allegedly for insulting Lukashenko and for threatening and
insulting Nadezhda Chmara, a judge in Mogilev, earlier this
year. The court also ordered Sadovskaya to pay USD 1,860
(BYR 4 million) in damages to Chmara. Police arrested
Sadovskaya in July, sent her to a mental hospital for an
examination, and then transferred her to Volodarskogo
pretrial detention center until the trial.


3. (U) The two-year prison sentence was punishment for a
letter that Sadovskaya drafted in January which insulted
Lukashenko's honor and dignity by calling for a mental
examination of the president. According to human rights
organization Charter 97, Sadovskaya admitted to writing the
letter but never distributed it. The authorities found the
letter when they were searching her house.


4. (C) Sadovskaya's fine was compensation to Chmara for
alleged threats and insults. Chmara insisted that Sadovskaya
had been involved with the threatening letters that Chmara
had received and an insulting message that had been left on
Chmara's answering machine. (Note: According to United Civic
Party deputy Lyudmila Gryaznova, Chmara is a devout
Lukashenko follower and appeared to be mentally unstable
during her testimony on October 18. End note.) However,
Sadovskaya's family members told Poloff, who was observing
the trial, that the prosecutor never provided the alleged
threat letters to the defense. Gryaznova noted that
Sadovskaya's defense lawyer did not actively challenge the
prosecution's questionable assertions and provided little
argumentation in support of his client's case, which suggests
that the regime co-opted the defense lawyer. In her closing
statement, Sadovskaya denied that she had threatened Chmara
and described the trial as "political."

Sadovskaya's Long Record of Human Rights Activities
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5. (SBU) Sixty year-old Sadovskaya has devoted most of her
life to human rights work. She is the regional head of the
human rights organization "Veche" and a chair of the
association "Zashchitnik" (Defender),which defends the
rights of draftees, military servicemen and their families.
According to Gryaznova, Sadovskaya has criticized
Lukashenko's policies, particularly with respect to
compulsory military service. Sadovskaya also cares for her
elderly mother and her disabled husband.

Comment
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6. (C) The prosecution and conviction of Sadovskaya
represents the most recent example of the GOB's manipulation
of the legal system to punish anyone and everyone who
criticizes the regime and its leader. The ease with which
the prosecution was able to secure a conviction without proof
plainly demonstrates the sham of a judiciary that operates in
Belarus.
Stewart