SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE: LATVIAN MFA,S REACTION TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIGA 000633 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM PINR EUN BO LG SUBJECT: SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE: LATVIAN MFA,S REACTION TO SEARCH OF LATVIAN DIPLOMAT,S APARTMENT IN MINSK REF: A. MINSK 784 ¶B. MINSK 796 ¶C. RIGA 619 Classified By: Ambassador Bailey for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Latvia believes that the recent incident alleging that one of its diplomats in Minsk was distributing pornography was a set up meant to retaliate against Latvian support for Belarusian NGO's and Belarusian opposition forces, notably while Latvia was the EU presidency representative to Belarus. Though the Government of Belarus has yet to formally apologize, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did receive a document which they did not view as a satisfactory explanation of the July 25th events. The Latvian Foreign Minister is refusing to meet the Belarusian Ambassador - who is newly arrived to Latvia and has expelled a Belarusian diplomat in retaliation. We do not believe that this event will lower Latvian determination to work for greater openness in Belarus in the near term. End summary. The Victim ¶2. (C) PolOff met with the head of the MFA's Eastern European Affairs department, Liga Andersone, and discussed the Latvian reaction to the search of Latvian diplomat Reimo Smits' apartment in Minsk by Belarusian security on July 25. Smits was a second secretary press officer in the Embassy. According to the Latvian MFA, one of the larger elements of Smits' portfolio was working with and providing support to various Belarusian NGOs, including the Latvian based organization Open Belarus. (Note: This is one of the organizations DAS Kramer met with in Riga just hours before the incident (reftel C). We do not/not believe there is any connection between that meeting and the incident. End note.) Many of the NGOs Smits worked with are heavily involved with opposing the Lukashenko regime. Smits also routinely carried brochures and other pamphlets produced by these NGOs into Belarus. In 2004, the Belarusian government learned that Smits was printing various materials for the NGOs in his apartment. The Government of Belarus protested, but took no action and nothing more was heard. However, Andersone believes that this was part of the catalyst which brought attention to Smits. ¶3. (C) Andersone felt it important to mention that Smits is openly gay and dated in the Minsk gay community. Furthermore, Smits was at the end of his four year tour and set to depart Minsk in September. The Set Up ¶4. (C) Refs a and b report the general facts of the July 25 incident and the Latvian MFA's account tracks with the reporting of our colleagues in Minsk. The MFA reports that the video shown on Belarusian television of Smits engaged in sexual relations with another man - as captured by hidden cameras in Smits' apartment - was indeed real. However, the MFA believes that the other man in the video was a Belarusian security agent tasked to entrap Smits for the purpose of creating the embarrassing video. Based on reporting from their Embassy in Minsk, the Latvians believe the pornographic material Smits was alleged to have had in the apartment was planted before the raid. The security police entered the apartment almost immediately after Simts' partner left and the video footage of the two of them together was captured. According to Andersone, the door was not even closed when the five individuals pushed their way inside. This is further proof in the MFA's mind that the liaison, video and the pornographic material were all part of a larger set up. ¶5. (C) According to Andersone, Smits is being charged with the dissemination of pornographic materials and the Belarusian authorities are claiming that they did not know that he was a diplomat at the time they went into the apartment. According to the Belarusian MFA, the law enforcement officials had a search warrant sanctioned by the prosecutor general based on an informant who claimed that pornographic material was being distributed from Smits' address. ¶6. (C) Andersone stated that the purpose of the news program which showed the search and seizure of the pornographic material as well as the sex video was to equate homosexuality, pornography, and criminality with the western values the opposition is attempting to bring to Belarus. The MFA is outraged that the Belarusian government took such unilateral action in clear violation of Belarus' obligations under the Vienna Convention. Latvia and Belarus have a Mutual Legal Assistance agreement and the MFA believes that, if these accusations of pornography distribution were genuine, the government of Belarus should have worked the proper RIGA 00000633 002 OF 002 channels with the government of Latvia. The Latvian Response in Riga ¶7. (C) The Latvian Ambassador to Minsk, Maira Mora, who was on vacation at the time this event took place, returned to Minsk after the event and met with the head of the Regional Department in the Belarusian MFA Wednesday, August 2. Ambassador Mora was not permitted to see the Belarusian Foreign Minister. Mora has since be recalled to Riga for consultations. ¶8. (C) FM Pabriks told Emboff August 2 that Latvia has expelled Belarusian diplomat Dmitri Krayushkin in retaliation. Pabriks said that Krayushkin was a well known intelligence agent said to head up Belarusian intelligence operations here. (Note: Krayushkin was a first secretary press officer. End note) ¶9. (C) In yet another twist in the tale, the Belarusian Ambassador to Latvia, Alexander Gerasimenko, left the country without officially informing the Latvian MFA. He presented his credentials on July 20th and then returned to Minsk July 21st. The Belarusian government claims that his departure was not in order to be away during the scandal. The Belarusian Embassy in Riga is claiming that they followed the proper diplomatic protocols and that they sent the circular note informing the MFA of the Ambassador's departure on July 21st. The MFA did not receive this note until three days later. Ambassador Gerasimenko was scheduled to meet with Pabriks on August 9th, but Pabriks has cancelled that meeting and is refusing to see the Ambassador at this time. ¶10. (C) The Latvians are trying to line up support for their case in the EU. The GOL has approached the Finnish Presidency and requested that the EU formally demarche the Belarusian government. The EU has issued a statement expressing disappointment and asking for an official explanation by Belarus. Politics at Home ¶11. (C) This situation has created some difficulties for MFA at home, especially in the runup to October elections. Pabriks, from the same party as PM Kalvitis, has come under attack from various internal political elements claiming that he is not doing enough to protect Latvian diplomats abroad or responding strongly enough to the current situation in Minsk. At the same time, Smits' sexual orientation, which has become widely known, has come in to play. Internet chat rooms are full of some of the same hateful speech toward Smits that we saw in the run up to the recent gay pride events. One opposition newspaper even suggested that Pabriks was to blame for sending an openly gay diplomat to a country like Belarus. Nevertheless, the government is treating this as an issue of proper diplomatic relations. Pabriks told the Ambassador, however, that he was not given all the details of the case at the outset, likely because of the sensitivities with Smits' sexuality, and was disappointed with his staff for depriving him of all the information. ¶12. (C) Comment: This is new ground for Latvia. They are not used to being in the spotlight like this for their activities. The GOB appears to have targeted them for their support for the opposition and greater openness in Belarus. A few years ago, the Latvians might have tried to keep this quiet, but they are more confident as EU and NATO members and willing to fight back. They are saying all the right things, both on proper diplomatic relations and on continuing support for building democracy in Belarus. At least in the near term, we do not see any change in Latvian support for greater openness in Belarus resulting from this incident. End Comment. Bailey