CZECH DIPLOMATS MAY FACE EXPULSIONS FROM BELARUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000204

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/ACE, EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM BO EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH DIPLOMATS MAY FACE EXPULSIONS FROM BELARUS

Classified By: A/DCM Martin Hohe for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d).


1. (C) Summary: Chilly relations between the Czech Republic
and Belarus have nearly frozen in the aftermath of a
Belarusian television broadcast that accused the Czech
Embassy in Minsk of subversive activities and distributing
propaganda to extremist groups. (Note: the document is
actually a UN human rights report on Belarus.) The incident
has led to fears the Lukashenko regime may expel Czech
diplomats from Belarus. Czechs have taken a
non-confrontational stance in the hope of diffusing the
hostilities. End Summary.


2. (U) On February 19, Belarusian state-run television showed
images (filmed several weeks earlier) of democratic
opposition members removing printed material from the Czech
Embassy in Minsk and placing them in private vehicles. The
broadcast asserted the material was "propaganda" distributed
to extremist groups in Belarus.


3. (SBU) Czech FM Cyril Svoboda confirmed at a press
conference in Prague on February 23 that the material in
question is actually a UN report on human rights violations
in Belarus (translated into Belarusian). Democratic
opposition party chairman Vincuk Viachorka confirmed this
during his conversation with Ambassador Cabaniss February 23
on the margins of a MFA-hosted conference on Belarus (to be
reported septel). The UN report contains information about
disappearances and other serious human rights violations
carried out by the Lukashenko regime.


4. (C) According to Marek Toman of the Czech MFA's
Transformation Cooperation Unit, the Czech Embassy provides
the UN report to any Belarusian who requests it. Democratic
opposition members also distribute it. Since October 2005,
they have distributed as many as two-thirds of the reports,
an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 copies. Toman said the
Belarusian KGB became aware of these activities at some point
and monitored the Embassy until they succeeded in filming the
transfer of reports from the Embassy to the opposition. Toman
said the opposition members shown in the broadcast were
detained and questioned by the KGB, but not imprisoned --
yet.


5. (C) Czech Charge d'Affaires Vladimir Ruml was summoned to
the Belarusian MFA February 23 to receive a sharp rebuke for
Czech "subversive activities" in Belarus. According to Toman,
Ruml was forced to stand throughout the ordeal, and was not
permitted to defend the Embassy's actions. The GOB officials
informed Ruml they are considering the "most serious"
sanctions against the Czech Republic. The Czechs believe that
the threat refers to diplomatic expulsions. Toman said the
current Czech strategy is to try to diffuse the level of
hostility as much as possible; therefore, the Czechs do not
intend to prepare diplomatic notes or otherwise challenge the
regime on the incident. However, the Czechs did issue a press
release that makes clear the UN report is lawful material
under Belarusian law.


6. (C) Toman said the Lukashenko regime has stepped up its
harassment of Ruml personally in recent weeks. In one
incident, the KGB stopped Ruml's car while he was enroute to
visit a dissident. Although the incident was tense, Toman
said reports that Ruml was threatened with imprisonment are
not accurate.
CABANISS