Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MINSK791
2006-07-28 12:48:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:  

NGO Partnership Case Begins, Families and Observers

Tags:  PGOV PHUM BO 
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VZCZCXRO4110
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHSK #0791 2091248
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281248Z JUL 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4791
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3528
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV 3377
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 3393
RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 3753
RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 1741
RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1234
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS MINSK 000791 

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SENSITIVE

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO
SUBJECT: NGO Partnership Case Begins, Families and Observers
Denied Entry


UNCLAS MINSK 000791

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SENSITIVE

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO
SUBJECT: NGO Partnership Case Begins, Families and Observers
Denied Entry



1. (SBU) On July 28, the criminal trial against four young people
associated with the NGO Partnerstvo (Partnership) began in Minsk's
Tsentralny district. Belarusian authorities accused Timofei

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Dranchuk, Aleksandr Shalaiko, Nikolai Astreiko, and Enira
Bronitskaya of operating an illegal organization that "encroaches
on people's rights" under Part 2 of the Criminal Code's Article

193. Partnership became prominent and respected for its
impartiality during its observation of Belarus' parliamentary
elections and referendum in the fall of 2004. The organization was
gearing up for observing the March 19 presidential elections when
the four leaders were arrested. If convicted, the court could
sentence the four activists up to three years in prison.


2. (SBU) Authorities have held the four youths in the KGB's
pretrial detention center since February 21. During the run up to
March's presidential elections, BKGB Chairman Stepan Sukhorenko
publicly accused the unregistered organization Partnership of
involvement in a violent coup plot and claimed the BKGB had seized
from Partnership offices fraudulent reports alleging BKGB efforts
to rig exit polls.


3. (SBU) International observers, including OSCE, EU, and U.S.
Embassy representatives, gathered outside the courthouse to seek
entry to the trial. The lawyer for the four activists, Vera
Stremkovskaya, confirmed to Poloff that despite her best efforts,
Tsentralny court authorities will not permit the family members of

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the accused or international observers to enter the courthouse.
One of the OSCE representatives noted that according to her sources
indicated that the GOB allegedly closed the proceedings for
"witness protection." The German ambassador assured Stremkovskaya
and independent journalists outside the court building that the EU
delegation had sent a diplomatic note to the Belarusian MFA to
request permission to observe the proceedings but had received no
reply. [Note: Post also sent in a diplomatic note requesting
access, but the MFA American Affairs Department Head told Charge on
July 27 that the MFA will not get involved in internal legal
matters.] The EU diplomats presented a copy of the diplomatic note
to court officers but the judge refused entry without comment. The
OSCE Acting Head of Mission also called the Belarusian Supreme
Court requesting access to the to the trial, but to no avail. The
German ambassador told Poloff that he plans to inform the Finnish
presidency of the GOB's refusal and to send a letter of protest to
the Chief of the Belarusian Supreme Court. After 40 minutes, the
EU delegation and OSCE representatives left the area.


4. Poloff spoke with the relatives of Dranchuk and Shalaiko, who
expressed their gratitude for attempting to observe the trial.
Poloff also observed several opposition leaders in front of the
courthouse, including: former opposition presidential candidate
Aleksandr Milinkevich, United Civic Party (UCP) leader Anatoly
Lebedko, and UCP Deputy Chair Lyudmila Gryaznova. Milinkevich told
journalists that the Partnership trial is entirely political and
that the freedom of Belarus is on trial. Lebedko and Gryaznova
commented to Poloff that Lukasheko pressured the judge to close the
proceedings.

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