Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08VILNIUS247
2008-04-17 07:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vilnius
Cable title:  

SECURITY TIGHT AT MASS TRIAL OF DEMONSTRATORS

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PINR BO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0389
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVL #0247 1080730
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170730Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY VILNIUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2178
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0209
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS VILNIUS 000247 

SIPDIS

AMEMBASSY MINSK SENDS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR BO
SUBJECT: SECURITY TIGHT AT MASS TRIAL OF DEMONSTRATORS

REF: VILNIUS 222

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000247

SIPDIS

AMEMBASSY MINSK SENDS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR BO
SUBJECT: SECURITY TIGHT AT MASS TRIAL OF DEMONSTRATORS

REF: VILNIUS 222


1. (U) A/Pol/Econ Chief attended the April 16 opening of the trial
of ten youth activists accused of participating in the unsanctioned
January 21 demonstration for entrepreneurs' rights. Among the
defendants is Andrey Kim, who has been in custody since January 31
and is facing additional charges of assaulting a police officer.
Four additional defendants were scheduled to be tried, though their
hearings have been postponed because they did not have time to
review case files. Also observing the trial were the Slovak Head of
Mission and representatives from the Czech and French Embassies.
The trial continues April 17.


2. (U) The security presence was considerably higher than at recent
trials. Over 15 Spetsnaz and twenty policemen were on hand to
disperse the unusually large crowd of supporters hoping to attend
the trial. Dozens of youth activists waited outside the courtroom
holding portraits of the defendants. Prior to A/Pol/Econ Chief's
arrival, riot police encircled the court building and dispersed
about 70 supporters. Inside the courtroom, several of the
defendants wore T-shirts emblazoned with the citation from the
Belarusian Constitution that guarantees freedom of expression and
assembly. One defendant, Mikhail Krivov, is an alumnus of the
USG-funded Muskie Fellowship program and attended San Jose State
University in 2006.

Comment
--------------


3. (SBU) As reported previously, Kim may become an additional
political prisoner and we continue to track his trial closely. It
is a positive sign that EU diplomats -- who were not in evidence at
the trial in Polotsk of youth activist Yekaterina Solovyova (reftel)
and attended the March 25 protest in very small numbers -- have
raised their public profile in this case.

MOORE
LEADER