Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MINSK295
2007-04-06 13:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
RECENTLY FREED OPPOSITION ACTIVIST BACK IN JAIL
how-toVZCZCXRO7220 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHSK #0295 0961350 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 061350Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY MINSK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5878 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1500 RUEHBS/USMISSION USEU 0182 RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS MINSK 000295
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV BO
SUBJECT: RECENTLY FREED OPPOSITION ACTIVIST BACK IN JAIL
REF: A. 05 MINSK 661, B. MINSK 029
UNCLAS MINSK 000295
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV BO
SUBJECT: RECENTLY FREED OPPOSITION ACTIVIST BACK IN JAIL
REF: A. 05 MINSK 661, B. MINSK 029
1. (U) On April 3, authorities arrested opposition activist Andrey
Klimov on criminal charges for allegedly using the mass media to
urge citizens to overthrow the constitutional government. If
convicted, Klimov could face up to five years in prison. In
December 2006, Klimov finished an 18-month restricted freedom
(khimya) sentence for his role in organizing the March 25, 2005
demonstration (reftels). In 1998, Klimov -- a once successful
businessman and former anti-Lukashenko MP who in 1996 signed a
motion to impeach the president -- was sentenced to six years in
prison for alleged embezzlement and released in 2002. Both
sentences were clearly politically motivated.
2. (SBU) In an April 5 phone conversation, Klimov's wife Tatyana
Klimova explained to Poloff that the General Prosecutor's Office on
April 2 informed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and the
independent internet news source Solidarnast that they opened
criminal charges against Klimov and that his "failure" to appear
before the prosecutors would pose a "problem" for Klimov. However,
according to Klimova, prosecutors did not inform Klimov about the
charges. Instead, a friend who heard the broadcast on RFE/RL
contacted Klimov, who had just arrived from Moscow (where he now
works). On April 3 at 10:00, Klimov went to the General
Prosecutor's Office to confirm if the information was true. Head
investigator Sergey Ivanov detained the opposition activist on the
spot, read him the charges, and immediately sent him to the
Volodarskogo pre-detention facility. According to Klimova, her
husband managed to phone her during the detainment and said that he
was denied a lawyer and being sent to Volodarskogo. The
conversation abruptly ended and that was the last time Klimova or
anyone else has heard from Klimov. Klimova was allowed only to pass
her husband a letter and hygiene products via the Volodarskogo
authorities.
3. (SBU) In an April 4 interview with the independent online news
source BelaPAN, Klimova stressed that authorities were not following
proper protocol in arresting her husband. This would explain why
Klimov, who usually defends himself in court, demanded a lawyer
immediately after being detained. Later that day, Yekaterina Dudko,
a state attorney, phoned Klimova claiming she represented Klimov
when he was arrested. Dudko later informed RFE/RL that during his
arrest, Klimov refused to comment to prosecutors on the charges.
Human rights lawyers from the NGO Vyasna contacted Klimova about
providing Klimov independent legal counsel. We will continue to
report on the status of Klimov's arrest.
STEWART
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV BO
SUBJECT: RECENTLY FREED OPPOSITION ACTIVIST BACK IN JAIL
REF: A. 05 MINSK 661, B. MINSK 029
1. (U) On April 3, authorities arrested opposition activist Andrey
Klimov on criminal charges for allegedly using the mass media to
urge citizens to overthrow the constitutional government. If
convicted, Klimov could face up to five years in prison. In
December 2006, Klimov finished an 18-month restricted freedom
(khimya) sentence for his role in organizing the March 25, 2005
demonstration (reftels). In 1998, Klimov -- a once successful
businessman and former anti-Lukashenko MP who in 1996 signed a
motion to impeach the president -- was sentenced to six years in
prison for alleged embezzlement and released in 2002. Both
sentences were clearly politically motivated.
2. (SBU) In an April 5 phone conversation, Klimov's wife Tatyana
Klimova explained to Poloff that the General Prosecutor's Office on
April 2 informed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and the
independent internet news source Solidarnast that they opened
criminal charges against Klimov and that his "failure" to appear
before the prosecutors would pose a "problem" for Klimov. However,
according to Klimova, prosecutors did not inform Klimov about the
charges. Instead, a friend who heard the broadcast on RFE/RL
contacted Klimov, who had just arrived from Moscow (where he now
works). On April 3 at 10:00, Klimov went to the General
Prosecutor's Office to confirm if the information was true. Head
investigator Sergey Ivanov detained the opposition activist on the
spot, read him the charges, and immediately sent him to the
Volodarskogo pre-detention facility. According to Klimova, her
husband managed to phone her during the detainment and said that he
was denied a lawyer and being sent to Volodarskogo. The
conversation abruptly ended and that was the last time Klimova or
anyone else has heard from Klimov. Klimova was allowed only to pass
her husband a letter and hygiene products via the Volodarskogo
authorities.
3. (SBU) In an April 4 interview with the independent online news
source BelaPAN, Klimova stressed that authorities were not following
proper protocol in arresting her husband. This would explain why
Klimov, who usually defends himself in court, demanded a lawyer
immediately after being detained. Later that day, Yekaterina Dudko,
a state attorney, phoned Klimova claiming she represented Klimov
when he was arrested. Dudko later informed RFE/RL that during his
arrest, Klimov refused to comment to prosecutors on the charges.
Human rights lawyers from the NGO Vyasna contacted Klimova about
providing Klimov independent legal counsel. We will continue to
report on the status of Klimov's arrest.
STEWART