US lawyer Zeltser stands closed trial in Minsk
- 30.07.2008, 12:32
US citizen Emanuel Zeltser and his secretary Russian citizen Vladlena Funk have criminal trial in Minsk today. He defendants were detained five months ago and have been kept in a KGB jail. The trial will be held behind closed doors. Judge Dmitry Klimovich will hear the case.
American lawyer Zeltser, in particular, has been presented accusations of using of forged official documents, drugs smuggling and commercial espionage. His secretary is accused of using of forged documents and commercial espionage.
As the Charter’97 press center has already reported, Emanuel Zeltser and his secretary were detained in Minsk on 12 March. At first the detained persons were charged of using of forged documents. Zeltser is a lawyer of US citizen Joseph Kay, a distant relative of Georgian businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili. After Patarkatsishvili had died 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 “industrial espionage” he is accused of, and he says it’s a “totally false case”.
Zeltser’s relatives, in particular, his brother Mark Zeltser, link his detainment with case of Badri Patarkatsishvili’s estate.
Emanuel Zeltser’s brother thinks Boris Berezovsky orchestrated the arrest of Mr. Zeltser in Belarus. Mark thinks Berezovsky planned Emanuel Zeltser’s visit to Belarus beforehand.
The US Department of State demanded the Belarusian authorities to release the American lawyer immediately. United States consul Caroline Savage visited the arrested man on 25 April. According to the consul, Zeltser said to her he had been beaten on the second and third days of his detention. The lawyer lost a considerable amount of weight, had difficulty walking and talking.