The authorities didn’t permit to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions to meet with Mikhail Marynich who has been kept in the Investigative Isolator of KGB since April 2004. The meeting was planned on 25 August. Instead of this, they brought one more criminal case and prolonged the term of his preliminary detention for a month. (30-AUG-2004)
On 26 August the head of the investigative department of KGB in Minsk and Minsk region Nikanovich stated that the detention term to Mikhail Marynich (public activist, former minister of foreign relations of Belarus, former Ambassador of Belarus in Latvia, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 12th and the 13th Convocations) would become at least a month longer due to the initiation of another criminal case against him.
According to Marynich’s attorney Vera Stramkowskaya, the case was brought upon part 4 of article 210 of the Criminal Code of Belarus. M. Marynich is charged with theft of equipment at the organization “Business Initiative” he heads. Marynich can receive 8-15 years of jail in the case he is found guilty. He has been kept in custody for four months already on the charge of illegal storage of arms. The majority of experts, questioned by the institute of social-economical and political research, are sure of the political nature of his criminal persecution.
On 27 August there turned four months since the former minister and Ambassador Mikhail Marynich was arrested and taken to KGB isolator. Members of the unregistered youth organization “Zubr” held an action in support of Mikhail Marynich and Valery Levanewski. Wearing T-shirts with the inscription “Freedom to Marynich!”, more 30 youngsters chained opposite the KGB office in Frantysk Skaryna Avenue in Minsk. Then they made a circle and walked in front of the building with their hands on the back of the heads, which reminded of prisoners. The action lasted for about 20 minutes. No one was detained during it.
