Zeltser’s lawyer refutes chairman of Supreme Court of Belarus

Chairman of the Supreme Court of Belarus said Emanuel Zeltser, arrested US citizen, was given a copy of the judgement. The lawyer of the prisoner refutes this statement.

“A copy of the judgement was given to Emanuel Zeltser,” chairman of Supreme Court Valyantsin Sukala said on February 11. “The information that the court doesn’t give it is wrong.”

In this way Valyantsin Sukala commented on the information that defense of the convicted US prisoner can’t receive a copy of the judgement.

However, the Charter’97 press center has learnt from Zeltser’s lawyer Zmitser Harachka, Zeltser wasn’t given a copy of the judgement.

“We got a copy of court record, but it is useless for us. We can’t appeal against the sentence without a copy of the judgement,” Zmitser Harachka said.

On a question how he could comment of a statement of the Supreme Court chairman, Emanuel Zeltser’s lawyer said he had lodged an appeal to Valyantsin Sukala at failure to give a copy of the judgement.

It should be reminded that on 11 August, the Minsk city court sentenced US lawyer Emanuel Zeltser to three years of imprisonment in minimum security penal colony. On October 31, the Supreme Court of Belarus upheld this decision. All trials were closed. The US Department of State continues to insist on release of Emanuel Zeltser on humanitarian grounds due to bad health of the prisoner.

It should be noticed that on February 11, six months have passed since a court judgement was delivered to Emanuel Zeltser.