AMBASSADOR VISITS IMPRISONED OPPOSITION ACTIVIST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000217 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/07 TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VISITS IMPRISONED OPPOSITION ACTIVIST Classified By Ambassador Karen Stewart for reason 1.4 (d). Ref: A. 05 Minsk 601 QB. 06 Minsk 731 QC. 05 Minsk 481 Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On March 9, Ambassador met with Belarusian political prisoner and Social Democratic party leader Nikolay Statkevich at his place of internal exile. Though isolated, Statkevich remains politically engaged and offered Ambassador a sharp critique of de facto coalition leader Aleksandr Milinkevich's and the coalition's efforts to convene a democratic congress. Statkevich also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the United States for its support for Aleksandr Kozulin and other Belarusian political prisoners. He asked that we continue making such visits with political prisoners. End summary. From Baranovichi to Blon -------------- ¶2. (C) On March 9, Ambassador traveled to a correctional dormitory near the village of Blon, an hour drive southeast of Minsk, to meet with opposition Belarusian Social Democratic Party "Narodnaya Gramada" (BSDP-NG) Chair and presidential contender Nikolay Statkevich, whom authorities had sentenced in 2005 to two years of internal exile, or "khimya," for organizing pro-democracy demonstrations (ref A). Meeting in his dimly lit, austere 6' x 10' room, Statkevich related to Ambassador that his living conditions and treatment by the security services had recently improved, particularly since the authorities transferred him from a similar khimya facility near Baranovichi, southwest of Minsk, in September 2006. During the conversation, Statkevich showed Ambassador across the hall a similar room shared by four inmates in which he had been quartered just before a recent visit by German Ambassador Hecker. Even in Exile, Statkevich Remains a Party Boss -------------- - ¶3. (C) Despite his relative isolation and long work hours as a tractor mechanic at a nearby collective farm, Statkevich told Ambassador that he stays politically informed and engaged by subscribing to independent Belarusian newspapers and through frequent visits by his family, friends, and political colleagues. Statkevich even showed Ambassador a Blackberry given to him by his brother, a Ukrainian businessman, to issue press statements. Moreover, the BSDP-NG party chief described how he and nine other members of the European Party Coalition, which also includes the opposition Belarusian Party of Freedom and youth organization Malady Front, held regular meetings in his cramped room to discuss issues facing Belarus' United Democratic Forces (UDF) coalition. Statkevich Disappointed with Opposition -------------- ¶4. (C) Noting that he had supported de facto coalition leader Aleksandr Milinkevich's presidential campaign, Statkevich expressed strong dissatisfaction with Milinkevich's conduct since the March 2006 presidential elections. He excoriated Milinkevich for failing to seize upon the momentum generated by the post-election demonstrations and for using the upcoming opposition congress mainly as a venue for his own ambitions. Moreover, Statkevich expressed doubts regarding the wisdom of the UDF parties' efforts to convene an opposition congress in the absence of a major election campaign. However, he was equally critical of former opposition presidential candidate Aleksandr Kozulin's party for similar reasons. Statkevich Ambivalent about Kozulin -------------- ¶5. (C) When Ambassador inquired whether he had been in contact with Kozulin, Statkevich lamented that he had not since Kozulin's imprisonment last year (ref B). Statkevich seemed wistful and bitter as he recalled Kozulin's 2005 election as BSDP-NG Chair after the party had ousted Statkevich from its chairmanship (ref C). [Note: Authorities re-registered the BSDP-NG as the Belarusian Social Democratic Party "Gramada" (BSDP) in June 2005. End MINSK 00000217 002 OF 002 note.] Moreover, Statkevich sharply criticized Kozulin for disparaging Milinkevich as a means to persuade the GOB to register him as a 2006 presidential candidate. Nevertheless, Statkevich called Kozulin a "strong and courageous man" and praised the United States for raising his plight at the UN Security Council in December 2006. Gratitude and Recommendations for the United States -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Statkevich characterized the United States as the only major power with a truly principled human rights position regarding Belarus and repeatedly thanked the USG and the Embassy for its unwavering moral support for pro- democracy activists and political prisoners. When Ambassador asked what more the U.S. could do, Statkevich offered two suggestions. First, Statkevich recommended that the U.S. should continue its support for independent media and, in particular, finance satellite television broadcasts of news and political satire to attract a broader Belarusian audience. Second, the Embassy should continue visiting with other political prisoners. Pointing to a wire running from his room into an adjacent room, Statkevich told Ambassador the GOB was aware of her presence and predicted that the regime would perceive such visits as a powerful statement of support to prisoners of conscience. [Note: We have repeatedly sought access to political prisoners in jail, including Kozulin and opposition youth leader Dmitriy Dashkevich, but the GOB has either ignored or rejected our requests. End note.] Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) Statkevich's criticism of Milinkevich and the congress was neither surprising nor novel, given what we have heard from other opposition leaders. Nevertheless, Statkevich's story of personal and political perseverance is inspiring. We will continue to seek access to other Belarusian political prisoners. Stewart