MFA BAITS AND SWITCHES ON COORDINATED U.S.-EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000876 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: 08/10/2016 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL BO SUBJECT: MFA BAITS AND SWITCHES ON COORDINATED U.S.-EU DEMARCHE REF: SECSTATE 123489 Classified By Charge Dereck Hogan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On August 11, Charge delivered the coordinated U.S.-EU demarche to MFA Counselor on the U.S. and Canada Desk Pavel Pustovoy regarding the imprisonment of former opposition presidential candidate Aleksandr Kozulin and four leaders of the independent election monitoring NGO "Partnership" (reftel). Charge informed Pustovoy that the United States and European Union regard the convictions as politically motivated and called for their immediate release. Pustovoy rejected the U.S. position but invited the United States to continue dialogue with Belarus. U.S. and Canada Section Head Sergey Sergeyev's decision to renege on his commitment to speak with Charge and to send a relatively low-level counselor in his stead underlines the GOB's lack of interest in any sincere dialogue. End Summary. MFS Pulls A Bait-n-Switch -------------- ¶2. (C) MFA U.S. and Canadian Affairs Head Sergey Sergeyev agreed on August 10 he would meet receive Charge on August 11, but when Charge arrived at the MFA, Sergeyev's deputy and counselor in U.S. and Canada Affairs section Pavel Pustovoy explained he would conduct the meeting. Charge told him the last-minute switch appeared to be another move by the GOB to avoid hearing U.S.-EU concerns on the state of human rights and democracy in Belarus. Charge added that the MFA European Affairs head had previously agreed to meet with the German ambassador, in behalf of the Finnish EU presidency, on August 11, but the MFA later responded that the German ambassador could only be received by a department head deputy. (Note: The German ambassador refused to deliver the demarche under such circumstances and hopes to be received by the European Affairs Department head on August 15. End Note.) ¶3. (C) Recalling that the U.S. and German embassies originally requested to deliver a joint demarche at the level of deputy foreign minister, Charge stressed to Pustovoy that the U.S. and EU considered it extremely important to raise with senior officials in the MFA our concerns about the state of human rights in Belarus. He continued that the U.S. and EU remain disappointed with GOB efforts to postpone, prevent, or thwart our message. Pustovoy acknowledged Charge's concerns about his office's handling of our demarche request and agreed to pass our message to the highest levels of the MFA. Demarche Points Delivered -------------- ¶4. (C) Charge stressed that the United States and European Union remained deeply concerned over the continuing deterioration of democracy, human rights and political freedom in Belarus, citing the harsh sentencing of former opposition candidate Kozulin and the four Partnership NGO activists as the most recent examples. Noting that the sentencing of these peaceful activists only demonstrates the Belarusian authorities' unwillingness to respect international standards, Charge urged the GOB to deviate from its present course and immediately release all political prisoners. ¶5. (C) Concerning the sentencing of the Partnership activists, Charge reminded Pustovoy that EUR DAS David Kramer and Ambassador Krol in December raised with a senior MFA official U.S. and EU concerns over the recently introduced criminal code amendments, which stiffened sentences for activities deemed to be "destabilizing." Kramer was told the USG should refrain from criticism until it observes how the GOB implements the criminal code amendments. Charge emphasized that the Partnership activists' imprisonment under the amended criminal code clearly justified U.S. and EU concerns. ¶6. (C) Charge added that the U.S. Embassy recently delivered a diplomatic note requesting U.S. diplomats be granted access to Kozulin and asked Pustovoy for a status on the diplomatic note. Pustovoy confirmed that the MFA received the diplomatic note and stated that the authorities would consider the request. MINSK 00000876 002 OF 002 GOB Exonerates Itself -------------- ¶7. (C) Pustovoy blamed Kozulin and his supporters for provoking violence at the March 25 demonstration and noted that former opposition presidential candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich criticized Kozulin's leading of the demonstration. Charge replied that the GOB had a greater responsibility to prevent violence and noted that Milinkevich has strongly condemned the GOB's treatment of Kozulin. ¶8. (C) When Pustovoy asserted that the U.S. and EU should judge Belarusian authorities' treatment of political activists by a single standard, Charge countered that Belarus has yet to conform to universal human rights standards as recognized by the UN, OSCE, and other international organizations. Pustovoy expressed sympathy with some of Charge's arguments, but stressed the USG and GOB positions remain fundamentally at odds. He articulated hope that the dialogue between the United States and Belarus would continue. ¶9. (C) Comment: The MFA's decisions to send a back bencher to receive the Charge's demarche and to snub the German ambassador confirms that the Lukashenko regime has little interest in establishing an earnest dialogue with the West regarding human rights and democratic reform. HOGAN