OPPOSITION YOUTH LEADER RECEIVES 18 MONTHS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 001166

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL BO
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION YOUTH LEADER RECEIVES 18 MONTHS

REF: MINSK 1162

Classified By: Ambassador Karen Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) On November 1, Judge Alla Bulash convicted Dmitriy
Dashkevich, the leader of the opposition youth organization
Malady Front, for allegedly operating an unregistered
organization (reftel). In a courtroom opened to Dashkevich's
father, international observers and a small number of
independent media, Dashkevich received a sentence of 18
months in prison. Upon hearing the sentence, Dashkevich
replied with quietly defiant resolve, "This is my victory.
This is my victory."


2. (SBU) Ambassador offered sympathy and condolences to the
father of phe accused, Vyacheslav Dashkevich, and several
Dashkevich supporters gathered at Oktyabrskiy Courthouse.
Also present at the verdict were German Ambassador Martin
Hecker, representing the EU presidency, and OSCE Head of
Mission Ambassador AkYQQQQIM=99


3. (C) Following the verdict, Ambassador spoke with
Dashkevich's defense attorney, who told Ambassador tha4 he
was planning an immediate appeal. He predicted that the GOB
would issue an amnesty, like that soon to be granted to
political prisoner Sergey Skrebets, and expressed hope that
Dashkevich would be released in less than five months.


4. (SBU) Ambassador gave interviews to independent
Belarusian and international media, including Belarus i Rynok
and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, outside the courtroom.
Ambassador condemned the sentence and noted that the United
States will continue to hold accountable those responsible
for abuses of the rights of Belarusian citizens. Ambassador
also called on the Belarusian authorities to free former
opposition presidential candidate Aleksandr Kozulin, NGO
Partnership election monitors Nikolay Astreyko and Timofey
Dranchuk, and all those imprisoned on politically motivated
charges.


5. (SBU) Present outside the courthouse were leaders of the
major Belarusian opposition parties, including United Civic
Party chairman Anatoly Lebedko, Belarusian Party of
Communists Sergey Kalyakin, and Belarusian Social Democratic
Party (BSDP) Acting Chairman Anatoliy Levkovich and Deputy
Chair Aleksey Korol. As on the first day of the trial, about
60 activists, weari.g red and white Malady Front T-shirts,
stood outside the court entrance, placed red and white roses
and images of Dashkevich on the court steps, and chanted
"Freedom to Dashkevich!"


6. (C) COMMENT: As in the Partnership case, the court's
decision to grant international observers access to the
verdict was a hollow gesture to the international community.
Evan if Dashkevich receives a lighter sentence through a
possible amnesty, the entire criminal case hitherto and any
time Dashkevich serves in prison will remain an egregious
violation of the basic human rights of Dashkevich and the
Belarusian people.
Stewart