Will Emmanuel Zeltser be freed from charges?

Emmanuel Zeltser’s lawyer Dzmitry Harachka has received documents from the US which confirm prescription to his client the medicines seized during Zeltser’s detention in Minsk.

“As an answer to my inquiry I have received documents signed by the consulting physician of my client. The documents confirm that the medicines seized in Minsk had been prescribed to him, and he had been taking them for a long time,” D. Harachka said to Interfax.

As said by him, “It is stated in the documents that the medicines seized from E. Zeltser in Belarus, had been taken by him for more than 15 years”. Besides, the lawyer noted that the documents received from the US state that in case E. Zeltser stop taking the medicines, it wil have irreversible effect on his health”.

“The copies of the documents have been forwarded to investigator,” D. Harachka said. He informed that “charges relating articles of the Criminal Code on distribution and smuggling of drugs haven’t been presented to Zeltser yet”. “We are waiting for a conclusion of experts’ examinations,” the lawyer said, adding that “chemical examination of the pills seized from E. Zeltser had been ordered”.

Earlier KGB spokesperson Valery Nadtachaeu stated that last week a criminal action was brought up against E. Zeltser on charges relating Article 228 Part 2 of the Criminal Code (“narcotic drugs trafficking”) and Article 328 Part 1 (“trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors”).

“Over 100 tablets, containing drugs and psychotropic substances, were seized from Zeltser,” Valer Nadtachaeu, spokesman of the Committee of State Security (KGB), said. Among them were Codein, Hydrokodon, Butalbital, Fentermin.

The US citizen E. Zeltser was detained by KGB officers in Minsk on 12 March, 2008. He was accused of committing a crime, provided for in part 2 of article 380 (“using of consciously forged official intrusting documents by a group of people by previous concert”) of the Criminal Code of Belarus.

Later the documents proved to be genuine. Then the KGB filed new charges against him.

E. Zeltser’s lawyer said that according to the version of the investigation, E. Zeltser was transporting and storing narcotic drugs over the territory of Belarus. “But they are drugs prescripted to my client. He was deprived of these drugs in the remand prison,” the lawyer emphasized.

The US Department of State “strongly urged” the Belarusian government to release US citizen lawyer Emanuel Zeltser “on humanitarian grounds.” Emanuel Zeltser health condition is reported to decline in the KGB prison.

On 25 April the United States consul Caroline Savage visited the arrested in Minsk American lawyer Emanuel Zeltser. According to the consul, Zeltser said her he had been beaten on the second and third days of his detention. Caroline Savage said it in the interview to BelaPAN. According to the consul, Zeltser lost a considerable amount of weight and was very weak, had difficulty walking and talking.