Amnesty International: Who tortured US citizen Emanuel Zeltser in Belarusian prison?

Amnesty International human rights organization called on its activists to support US citizen Emanuel Zeltser.

International human rights defenders said Zeltser’s health has deteriorated further, he is deprived of essential medication for various ailments including diabetes, heart problems and severe arthritis.

Amnesty International called on activists to send appeals to the Belarusian authorities urging them to ensure that Emanuel Zeltser is granted immediate and continuing access to full medical

treatment, and calling on the authorities to immediately order a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into reports that Emanuel Zeltser has been tortured or otherwise ill-treated, and to bring those responsible to justice.

The organization recommends sending letters to Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich, and minister of internal affaires Uladzimir Navumau.

As BelaPAN has earlier reported, the President’s Administration is to have negotiations with a representative of the legal advisor’s office of the US Department of State on conditions of the US citizen Emanuel Zeltser’s release. The negotiations are initiated by the Belarusian party. E. Zeltser was arrested on March 12, 2008 together with his secretary Vladlena Funk. On August 11, Minsk city court sentenced him to 3 years of imprisonment for use of false documents and attempted commercial espionage. On October 31, the Supreme Court of Belarus upheld the verdict. All court trials were held behind the closed doors.

The United States insists on release of Emanuel Zeltser on humanitarian grounds in connection with the hard health conditions of the prisoner.