Minsk, Vienna:  The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee believe that criminal charges against leading opposition politician and public figure Mikhail Marynich, are politically motivated. (27-DEC-04).  

Marynich, a former minister and  Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus, who ran for the presidency in 2001 has been kept in the investigative ward of the State Security Committee (KGB) since 26 April 2004 despite his deteriorating health.  On 18 April, a dacha belonging to Mikhail Marynich was broken into by unknown persons. The dacha was subsequently searched by KGB agents who found “documents constituting threat to the state security” and a gun without bullets.  Mikhail Marynich was charged with illegal possession of firearms.

Two crimonal offences
The KGB also searched Marynich’s and his sons’ homes and garages, and he was charged with another two criminal offences: theft or damage of documents, stamps, and seals, and grand larceny through the abuse of power. Marynich allegedly stole 40 computers, loaned by the public association BelADI and belonging to the US Embassy.The investigator rejected motions of Marynich’s attorney to cancel the restraint, and denied representatives of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions to meet with Mikhail Marynich.

Prisoner of conscience
The hearing starts 23 December.  Amnesty International has declared that, should Mr. Marynich be sentenced to a prison term, he would be considered a prisoner of conscience.The International Helsinki Federation says in their press release that they insist that the trial must meet international standards of transparency and due process.