BKGB ARRESTS ELECTION OBSERVERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000192 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO SUBJECT: BKGB ARRESTS ELECTION OBSERVERS REF: A. 05 MINSK 1343 ¶B. 05 MINSK 1537 Classified By: Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4(B,D ) ¶1. (C) On February 21, BKGB officers arrested four pro-democracy activists, Partnership leaders Nikolay Astreyka and Enira Bronitskaya, NDI employee Aleksandr Shalaika (strictly protect),and Timofei Dranchuk, aide to imprisoned opposition member Andrei Klimov. They arrested the first, Dranchuk, around 1100 when he left to buy flowers for his wife's birthday. Dranchuk's wife told the press that after his arrest, BKGB agents searched their apartment for three hours and seized a number of items and documents, including their computer, every book Klimov had written, and even newspapers dating back five years. The BKGB subsequently told Dranchuk's wife that her husband would be held for questioning for three days. ¶2. (C) Several hours later the BKGB arrested Nikolay Astreyka, head of the election observation NGO Partnership, and his deputy Enira Bronitskaya. Both were arrested at their homes, which the BKGB searched. Astreyka's wife told the press that the BKGB agents were wearing masks during the arrest and pointed a gun at Nikolay. She was also told the BKGB would hold her husband for three days. The BKGB seized computers and documents from both apartments. The press reports these three are being charged with slandering President Lukashenko and acting on behalf of an unregistered organization. ¶3. (C) The Vyasna human rights NGO told Poloff that the BKGB simultaneously searched ten offices and apartments of Partnership activists across the country. Independent press reports that the BKGB searched offices and apartments in Polotsk, Novopolotsk, Mogilev, Brest, Bykhov, Vitebsk, and Gomel. Web site Charter 97 claimed the BKGB seized computers from some of these sites. Vyasna said all those arrested are being charged with the latest amendments to the criminal code which took effect in late December, such as slandering the president or acting against the interests of Belarus (ref B). The National Democratic Institute's David Hamilton (which funds Partnership's activities-strictly protect) told Embassy Kiev that the BKGB raided Partnership's Minsk office and two offices in the regions, seizing all their computers, but leaving money and receipts untouched. Hamilton also claimed that a third Partnership activist is being charged with slander, that another is fleeing to Russia to avoid charges, and that police questioned a local Partnership leader, but have not filed charges. ¶4. (C) Also on February 21, the BKGB arrested NDI's main Belarusian employee (strictly protect),Aleksandr Shalaika, and detained him at least overnight. (Note: NDI believes Shalaika was arrested on the 19th, and has been in BKGB detention since. Post has been unable to confirm.) On February 22, Poloff spoke with Vera Stremkovskaya, legal representative to Shalaika, Astreyka and Dranchuk. She said all three are being held in the BKGB's "Amerikanka" detention center. Despite press reports, she did not know how long they will be held or what they will be charged with. Human rights contacts told Post Stremkovskaya was meeting with her clients in the afternoon on the 22nd. ¶5. (C) Comment: In the 2004 parliamentary elections Partnership fielded 3,500 independent election observers, who documented a large number of election violations and irregularities. This decapitation strike by the BKGB will severely limit if not destroy Partnership's ability to observe the March 19 presidential elections, particularly since many Partnership activists were already skittish from previous arrests in October (ref A). This time around, even though Lukashenko has stacked the deck completely in his favor, the regime is taking no chances and is using every repressive tool in its toolbox to make sure Lukashenko wins by an overwhelming majority, and there is no color revolution in Minsk. Krol