EMBASSY MINSK BIWEEKLY REPORT - February 24, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MINSK 000208 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON BO SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK BIWEEKLY REPORT - February 24, 2006 MINSK 00000208 001.5 OF 004 ¶1. The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy Minsk. -------------- Human Rights -------------- ¶2. Jailed Businessman Now a Fugitive On February 9, businessman Nikolai Avtukhovich who is facing tax evasion charges disappeared from house arrest in Grodno on the first day of his trial. Before leaving, Avtukhovich sent a letter to the prosecutor general claiming that the controversial tax evasion charges against him were politically motivated. In his letter, Avtukhovich said he would not leave the country, but would prove his innocence and promised to publish a statement after February 23. His lawyer denied knowing about Avtukhovich's whereabouts or his letter. Avtukhovich, owner of a private taxi company in Volkovysk, is charged with failure to pay USD 315,000 in taxes and violating cash handling regulations. Avtukhovich was arrested on October 14 and immediately began a 74-day hunger strike, resulting in health problems that allowed him to transfer to house arrest on December 27. ¶3. Writers Barred from Schools? On February 13, poet and former chair of the Union of Belarusian Writers (UBW) Vladimir Neklyayev accused GOB authorities of trying to bar UBW members from educational institutions. In January, authorities told heads of schools and universities not to permit events involving students and members of the UBW. However, events coordinated with the recently established, pro-government Union of Writers of Belarus are allowed. ¶4. Opposition Activists Detained, Apartments Searched, Material Seized Lida Police on February 14 detained head of 10+ presidential candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich's Grodno campaign manager Anatoly Khotko, Sergei Malchik, and Grodno City Council Deputy Sergei Antusevich for five hours. The men were returning to Grodno from Minsk when policed stopped their vehicle and seized 1,200 copies of the independent newspaper Narodnaya Volya. Mosty police on February 15 searched the apartment of Mosty District Council member Ales Sarembyuk and seized decks of playing cards bearing images of GOB officials, copies of the bulletin Mostovskaya Pravda, computer discs, and Milinkevich photos. A Gomel district court judge on February 21 fined opposition activist Svyatoslav Shalamov USD 135 for early �0A;campaigning against Lukashenko after police detained Shalamov on February 8 and seized 11,000 leaflets satirizing Belarus' state television network. On February 20, the district judge fined opposition activist Yury Glushakov USD 135 for the same charge after police on February 7 seized satirical leaflets he was carrying. On February 21, the BKGB arrested imprisoned activist Andrei Klimov's assistant Timofei Dranchuk and confiscated 65 items from his apartment, including boxes of wastepaper, old newspapers and leaflets, books written by Klimov, a computer, and personal documents. The arrest came a day after Klimov met with Milinkevich. On February 17, authorities unexpectedly moved Klimov from his correctional facility near Minsk to a facility in Krupki near Gomel. ¶5. Travel Ban Imposed on Activist On February 16, the Minsk police imposed a travel ban on opposition activist Oksana Novikova after police investigator Vladimir Galitsky reopened Novikova's 2004 criminal case in which she allegedly used a forged passport to obtain residence address registration in Minsk. On February 15, Galitsky officially charged Novikova for the offense. In 2004, Novikova was convicted of distributing leaflets containing "slanderous" information about Lukashenko, but did not serve her 2.5-year restricted prison sentence due to her pregnancy. ¶6. Union of Belarusian Poles Activist Deprived of Passport Grodno border guards on February 17 seized the passport of journalist and Union of Belarusian Poles (UBP) activist Andrei Pisalnik after returning from a meeting in Warsaw. The GOB placed Pisalnik on a foreign travel ban in 2005 for alleged involvement in a criminal case. Border guards seized Pisalnik's passport, documents relating to his meeting in Poland, a museum guidebook, and a magazine published by Poles in Latvia. ¶7. Polish Journalist Expelled Correspondent for the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza Waclaw MINSK 00000208 002.9 OF 004 Radziwinowicz on February 19 was barred entry into Belarus at the train station in Grodno and put on the next train to Poland. Radziwinowicz had all the required documents and was traveling to Minsk to interview President Lukashenko. GOB authorities later announce that Radziwinowicz was on Belarus' travel ban list. ¶8. Youth Jailed For Demonstration On February 19, four opposition youth activists were sentenced to 15 days in jail for holding candles during the February 16 Day of Solidarity demonstration in which 100 people gathered to remember imprisoned opposition politicians and prominent activists who disappeared in 1999 and 2000. Twenty-four people were detained during the demonstration, but only four, including ZUBR activists Oleg Metelitsa, remained in jail over night and then charged with "petty hooliganism" for allegedly yelling obscenities and ignoring police officers. The judge refused to listen to defense witness testimony and would not watch the police video of the defendants' arrest. ¶9. Zhoda Investigated Over Mohammad Cartoons The BKGB on February 22 began criminal proceedings against the independent newspaper Zhoda for "inciting hatred or religious hostility" after reprinting the infamous Mohammad cartoons that were initially published in a Danish newspaper in 2005. The BKGB seQQ!"0}the newspaper. Zhoda's next issue will not be released because of the BKGB seizures. Zhoda printed 3,050 copies of the controversial issue but distributed only 25 percent of those copies after Korol returned to Minsk from a trip and learned of the cartoons. -------------- Lukashenko and His Followers -------------- ¶10. Lukashenko Has His Own Civil Society Organization On February 10, the National Coordinating Council of pro- Lukashenko parties and associations met at the Central Palace of Officers to offer its support to Lukashenko ahead of the presidential elections. The NCC includes leaders of 40 political parties and associations that, according to the Presidential Administrations chief ideology officer Oleg Proleskovksaya, represent and build civil society in Belarus. The NCC is to observe the elections and will ensure an "open and transparent" process. ¶11. Lukashenko Scorns Prime Minister President Lukashenko on February 14 publicly reprimanded PM Sergey Sidorsky for increased vegetable prices and a poor economic report. Lukashenko accused Sidorsky of failing to give "exhaustive" answers to questions about vegetable price hikes and other economic issues while the President's press office called Sidorsky's report a "self-evaluation" that gave excuses and not "visions." Lukashenko was angered at the increase in vegetable prices and asked Sidorsky why this happened if Belarus had sown enough vegetables to satisfy local demand. Lukashenko warned Sidorsky that his position was an appointed position. ¶12. Lukashenko Alerts Police to Potential "Civil Unrest" Lukashenko at a February 21 national security conference told law enforcement agencies to brace for upcoming situations and prevent harmful developments. The President accused the West of interfering in Belarus' internal affairs and predicted that it would use blackmail and the opposition to provoke extremism in Belarus. "Realizing the lack of chances for a legal win, opponents of the authorities sweat their guts out to fuel tensions in the country, loosen the foundations of the state and society, and blacken our spiritual values." ¶13. Lukashenko Meets Cadets, Warns of Nationalism President Lukashenko met with cadets and instructors on February 24 at the Minsk Suvorov Military Academy ?hdlQT95(}NpdQQQnko, these nationalists sought to "humiliate" and "destroy" Belarus' military financially and morally by handing over the responsibility to protect the country to Europe, the U.S., and NATO. Lukashenko added that the nationalists deliberately MINSK 00000208 003.26 OF 004 sought to make Belarus dependent, weak, and defenseless. -------------- Economy -------------- ¶14. GOB Designates Companies Responsible for Growth The Belarusian Council of Ministers listed 113 enterprises, which account for 75 percent of Belarus' exports, that are responsible for increasing the Belarus' 2006 GDP and industrial output. The projected 2006 growth target for GDP is from seven to eight percent and industrial output is to rise from 6.5 to eight percent. The Ministries of Economy and Statistics, industry regulatory authorities, and regional executive committees are tasked to monitor the performance of these enterprises. ¶15. State to Increase Ownership of Profitable Sugar Company Shareholders of Belarus' Zhabinka sugar redinery in Bres4 plan to hold an extraordinary general meeting on March 6 to increase the state's stake in the refinery. Experts attribute the rise in state shares to the state loans the refinery would receive in return. In 2005, the GOB nationalized the refinery using the Golden Share rule against the wishes of the Russian shareholders, even though (or probably because) it was a profitable business. After the refinery's nationalization, the GOB immediately increased iTs ownership from 25 per#ent to 97 percent. Now the "shareholders" will meet to raise their stakes even further. ¶16. Privatization A Last Resort Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Tur on February 10 told the Council of Directors in the Minsk City Administration that privatization in Belarus was a "last resort." According to Tur, target budget revenues comE from the use of state property and not privatization. Privatization revenues accounted for eight percent of the budget, while dividends and rent payments from state property accounted for the rest. -------------- %--- Information -------------- ¶17. Polish Radio Begins Broadcasts Radio Racja (Radio Rightful) on February 22 began broadcasting to Eastern and Central Belarus from Bialystok in northeast Poland. Radio Racja originally broadcasted for Poland's Belarussian minority, but closed down several years ago for lack of funding. The station's new broadcasts, in Belarusian, will be financed by the Polish government. -------------- Bilateral Relations -------------- ¶18. GOB Threatens Lithuania Over Nuke Dump Belarus' Deputy Environment Minister Aleksandr Apatsky on February 14 announced that Belarus would retaliate should Lithuania build a radioactive waste dump near its shared bnrder with Belarus. Apatsky threatened to build a facility, such as a haxardous dump, on the Belarusian side of theborder that the GOB would "not like to have in thecountry's center." Apatsky claimed he did not want his comments to be mistaken for a threat, but warned t`at if Belarus' pos)tion on the nuclear waste dump was ienored, then B%larus had the right to retaliateQ likewise. When Lithuania first announced its intentions to build such a dumpsite in 2005, B%laruS responded by threatening to build tvo giant pig farms fear the border and upstream from Vilnius on the Neean river. -------------- Sports -------------- ¶19. Belarusian Olympians Fail Blood Test Two Belarusian Olympians at the Turino Games on February 10 were suspended for five days after exceeding hemoglobin levels in a blood test. The 32-year-old Sergei Dolidovich and the 22- year-old Adeksandr L`zutkin were the ondy crmss-country skiers sent by Belarus to the games. ¶20. Tennis Players Win Davis Cup Quarter Finals, Awarded Handguns On February 12, BelarusIan tennis playdrs Max Mirnyi and MINSK 00000208 004.5 OF 004 Vladimir Voltchkov beat the Spanish tennis team in a 4-1 Davis Cup quarterfinal upset in Minsk. An ecstatic President Lukashenko gave a speech following the win and promised to name Mirnyi and Voltchkov "Heroes of Belarus." Lukashenko claimed that he was so excited about the tournament that he could not work, eat, or sleep. The President presented Mirnyi (U.S. resident) and Voltchkov with engraved handguns, which he called a token of the men's honor and valor. Mirnyi, whose name translated into English means "peaceful," allegedly quipped that the gift seemed strange for someone with his name. -------------- Anti-American -------------- ¶21. Gulag Invented in U.S. Journalist Anton Andreyenko published an article on February 22 in the 7 DNEI state weekly (circulation 38,886) that claimed the U.S. invented gulag-style camps and Soviet authorities simply adopted the system. Andreyenko argued that Gulags first appeared during the U.S. Civil War and were places where prisoners were tortured "out of pure sadism." Since the North won the war, proof of these atrocities no longer exist. Andreyenko then predicted that the advent of the "digital age" would ensure [the U.S.'] total control over each and every citizen much like Nazi concentration camps, where every prisoner had a number. -------------- Quote of the Week -------------- ¶22. Lukashenko to cadets at the Suvorov Academy: "Our Western adversaries understand perfectly well the importance of taking possession of young people's minds to manipulate them and involve them in illegal activities." KROL