Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE5546
2009-01-21 22:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:
OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON BELARUS
how-toVZCZCXRO1901 PP RUEHAST RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR DE RUEHC #5546 0212238 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P R 212230Z JAN 09 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 7240 INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS STATE 005546
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KDEM BO OSCE
SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON BELARUS
UNCLAS STATE 005546
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KDEM BO OSCE
SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON BELARUS
1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement
at the Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on January 22.
Begin text:
Madam Chairwoman,
At the Permanent Council meeting on December 18, 2008, the
United States made a statement regretting that the government
of Belarus had, on December 9, sentenced a human rights
defender, Alyaksandr Barazenko, to one year of restricted
freedom for participating in an entrepreneurs rally in
January of 2008. Following our statement, the distinguished
permanent representative of Belarus, Ambassador Sychov,
claimed that our reports were incorrect, and that Mr.
Barazenko had been released without being sentenced. He then
suggested that we be more careful in our fact checking.
Madam Chairwoman, we went back and checked and can verify
that in fact, Mr. Barazenko was convicted and sentenced to
one year of restricted freedom to be served at home. Mr.
Barazenko appealed this sentence and his appeal was dismissed
by the Minsk Central District Court on January 13. The fact
of this sentence was also confirmed in the December 22, 2008
activity report of the OSCE Office in Minsk which was
distributed under document number SEC.FR/782/08.
We stand by our original statement of December 18 and
continue to call on the government of Belarus to honor its
international obligations and commitments to respect the
human rights and fundamental freedoms of its citizens, and to
promote democracy in Belarus.
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
CLINTON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KDEM BO OSCE
SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON BELARUS
1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement
at the Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on January 22.
Begin text:
Madam Chairwoman,
At the Permanent Council meeting on December 18, 2008, the
United States made a statement regretting that the government
of Belarus had, on December 9, sentenced a human rights
defender, Alyaksandr Barazenko, to one year of restricted
freedom for participating in an entrepreneurs rally in
January of 2008. Following our statement, the distinguished
permanent representative of Belarus, Ambassador Sychov,
claimed that our reports were incorrect, and that Mr.
Barazenko had been released without being sentenced. He then
suggested that we be more careful in our fact checking.
Madam Chairwoman, we went back and checked and can verify
that in fact, Mr. Barazenko was convicted and sentenced to
one year of restricted freedom to be served at home. Mr.
Barazenko appealed this sentence and his appeal was dismissed
by the Minsk Central District Court on January 13. The fact
of this sentence was also confirmed in the December 22, 2008
activity report of the OSCE Office in Minsk which was
distributed under document number SEC.FR/782/08.
We stand by our original statement of December 18 and
continue to call on the government of Belarus to honor its
international obligations and commitments to respect the
human rights and fundamental freedoms of its citizens, and to
promote democracy in Belarus.
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
CLINTON