Belarusian political prisoner, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belarus, ex-Minister of Foreign Economic Relations Mikhail Marynich has made his final statement in the legal trial. “This trial is a persecution for democratic views, for active work in civil society, for vision of the European way of development for Belarus, for running in presidential elections as a candidate,” told Mikhail Marynich. The political prisoner was reading the final statement for about an hour.
The comments on verdict to the political prisoner, former Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus, former Minister of Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of Belarus, Member of Parliament of the 12th Supreme Soviet, Mikhail Marynich, were given forthwith to the Charter’97 press center by international coordinator of the Charter’97 Andrei Sannikov, Charter’97 coordinator Zmitser Bandarenka, the head of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, one of the Zubr coordinators Uladzimir Kobets, journalist and playwright Nikolai Khalezin. Mikhail Marynich has been sentenced to 5 years if imprisonment in maximum-security correctional labor facility on absolutely cooked-up and not proved charges. The sentence was passed by Judge Liudmila Dolzhenko (Liudmila Dalzhenka).
Mihail Marinich was sentenced by court to 5 years of imprisonment and confiscation of property. Well-known Belarusian politicians comment this verdict.
“Zubr” movement express protest to cruel and illegal sentence against one of leaders of Belarusian opposition Mihail Marinich. Ex-minister, Ambassador extraordinary and preliminary, candidate to President, one of leaders of opposition Mihail Marinich deserved respect in Belarus and abroad. Cruel sentence showed that authorities are afraid of this strong man who refused to stay on his knees.
The United States condemned December 30 the conviction by a Belarusian court of Belarusian opposition figure Mikhail Marinich. The charge of theft of equipment provided by the United States to Maranich`s non-governmental organization is "spurious," said State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher. "The United States will consider measures it may take to hold accountable those Belarusian officials who participate in such abuses of democratic procedures and human rights," said Boucher. The United States also strongly condemned the "flagrant abuse of the Belarus court system" to prosecute Marinich on December 23. Following is the text of Boucher`s statement:
A prominent opposition figure was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday after being convicted of stealing computers supposedly owned by the U.S. Embassy, a charge Washington labeled spurious and human rights groups called politically motivated.
A trial of political prisoner Mikhail Marynich has started several days ago in Minsk. After each session of the court the innocence of the defendant gets more and more evident. No one from the participants of the process have any grievances against him. None of the accusations is substantiated convincingly. The former Minister of Foreign Economic relations, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belarus Mikhail Marynich considers this trial to be exclusively political and cynical. Dozens of MPs of the European parliament and of European countries, prominent public figures and politicians of many countries have expressed their solidarity with the political prisoner. Dozens of people stand by the building of the court every day. They come to support the Belarusian political prisoner. We propose you, dear viewers of out site, to write a letter of support to Mikhail Marynich and to send it to an email solidarity@charter97.org. All you messages will be given to Mikhail Marynich on the eve of the New Year holiday.
On the day when the sentence is to be pronounced to one of the leaders of Belarusan opposition, Mikhail Marynich, activists of the Zubr movement are continuing their vigil in front of the building of the court. Today, after the politician has made his final statement, the activists carried out a solidarity action with the political prisoner. Several dozens of Zubr members wearing pullovers with the portrait of the political prisoner and words “Free Marynich!” were walking around the building of the court their hands on the nape.
About 30 representatives of various non-governmental organizations gathered at the Belarusian Embassy in Riga today (30/12/2004) to protest against the lack of rule of law in Belarus. The rally was organized in connection with the trial of Belarusian opposition figure Mikhail Marinich in Belarus. The indictment will be read out today, it is possible that the prosecutor will demand a six-year prison sentence for Marinich.
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