Supreme Court refused to hear issue of US lawyer Zeltser’s release

• 26.09.2008, 9:48

Hearing of cassation appeal against sentence to US citizen Emanuel Zeltser, which was to be held in the Supreme Court of Belarus today, has been postponed.

Interfax-Zapad agency learnt it from the court on Friday. “Due to the fact that the court needs to evoke a number of documents, hearing of the cassation appeal against the judgement to E. Zeltser has been postponed for another day,” the court said.

E. Zeltser’s lawyer Zmitser Harachka, who came to the court room at 9.30 am, where the hearing was to begin, said postponing of the hearing was a surprise for him. He said to journalists he counted on “unbiased judgement of the Supreme Court in this case”.

The lawyer said: “We can’t receive a copy of full judgement to E. Zeltser, delivered by the Minsk city court, for a month and a half. In response to my numerous official requests on receiving a copy of full judgement, the court keeps silence and doesn’t comment on its actions.”

Z. Harachka also said: “the court hasn’t decided yet on what day the cassation appeal against the judgement to my client will be heard. I visit him every day. He receives a part of medicines from the US embassy, but he can’t receive other necessary medicines, because they are available on prescriptions, and he can’t receive prescription in prison.”

The lawyer noted that “a problem of Zeltser’s trial is the fact it is held behind closed doors, and its participants signed non-disclosure agreements. “ “If it were possible to tell some details of this case, it would be a bombshell,” the lawyer said.