US Lawyer Zeltser to learn by experience what Belarusian “justice” is
- 18.07.2008, 9:05
The criminal case of the US citizen Emanuel Zeltser, who is kept in the remand prison of the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) since March 12, is to be tried in the Minsk City court.
“The criminal case of Emanuel Zeltser which has been received by the Supreme Court of Belarus from the General Prosecutor’s office for ruling of jurisdiction has been presented to Minsk City court,” Interfax has been told in the Supreme Court.
As we have informed, on June 27 Zeltser was finally accused. Among other charges, he was also accused of commercial espionage. “At the moment he is charged with committing crimes under part 2 of article 380 (using fake documents, giving rights, by a group of people by previous concert), part 2 of article 228 (narcotic substances smuggling), part 1 of article 328 (trafficking of narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors), and part 1 of article 254 (commercial espionage) of the Criminal Code of Belarus,” the KGB informed.
According to the agency’s interlocutor, a citizen of Russia Vladlena Bruskova, who was detained together with E. Zeltser, is charged with crimes relating to part 2 of article 380 (using fake documents, giving rights, by a group of people by previous concert), and part 1 of article 254 (commercial espionage) of the Criminal Code of Belarus.
The KGB Investigation department has also initiated a criminal case against US citizen Joseph Kay over an article “economic espionage”. The KGB Center of Information and Public Relations has informed that “US citizen Joseph Kay hasn’t been detained, he is not at the territory of Belarus at the moment”.
They also stated that the criminal case against E. Zeltser, J. Kay and V. Bruskova have been brought up on charges relation Article 14 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (attempt to commit crime).
“The crime hasn’t been finished for reasons beyond the control of the suspects. In other words, the crime was prevented at the stage of preparation,” the KGB Center of Information and Public Relations specified.
Zeltser is a lawyer of the US citizen Joseph Kay, who is a distinct relative of Georgian businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili. After Patarkatsishvili’s death on 13 February, J. Kay presented documents, proving he was an executor of his will. The documents were prepared by E. Zeltser, but B. Patarkatsishvili’s relatives say they were forged, after that E. Zeltser was detained in Minsk. On 13 May Tbilisi court has recognized Joseph Kay as a legitimate executor of the will, by this confirming the documents are authentic.
The details of Zeltser’s arrest are not officially commented, as the case is has a status of a state secret.
On 27 May a case on part 1 of article 328 (possession and smuggling of illegal drugs) and part 2 of article 228 (drugs smuggling) of the Criminal Code of Belarus was instituted against E. Zeltser. Zeltser’s physician appealed to the Prosecutor General Office several times saying the medicines, seized during the detention, are vital for his patient. He also said he had never informed his patient the medicines contained the substances which can be considered narcotics.
The US lawyer does not plead guilty of “commercial espionage”, and he says it’s a totally false case.
The US Department of the State demands the Belarusian authorities to release the US lawyer immediately. On April 25 the US Consul Caroline Savage met with arrested Mr. Zeltser. As said by the Consul, Zeltser told her that he had been beaten two or three times while in custody. E. Zeltser had lost weight, was very weak and had difficulty walking and talking.