US lawyers blaming Belarusian authorities of torturing Zeltser
- 14.01.2009, 9:06
Patton Boggs law firm has filed an urgent complaint with a UN Special Rapporteur on Torture demanding to investigate torturing of Emanuel Zeltser.
As the press service of the firm reports, the complaint alleges that having detained Zeltser on March 12, 2008, Belarus violated its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Zeltser “has faced physical beatings, inhumane and unsanitary treatment... Belarusian authorities have continuously withheld physician-prescribed medications,” BelaPAN reports.
Patton Boggs notes that under medical report, E. Zeltser can die without medical treatment. Independent American physician Albert Benchabbat, who was allowed to examine Zeltser in penal colony #15 of Mahilou on January 6, thinks his patient “is unlikely to survive in current conditions and deprived of his vital medications”. The physician called to release him for a surgery.
The lawyers urged the UN Special Rapporteur to give the Belarusian authorities to understand their actions are inadmissible and must be forbidden.
On August 11, 2008, the Minsk city court sentenced E. Zeltser to three years of imprisonment for attempted industrial espionage and the use of fake documents. Hi secretary Vladlena Funk arrested at the same time, was sentenced to a year of imprisonment. The Supreme Court of Belarus upheld this judgement on October 31. All trials were held behind closed doors.
The defence is not going to appeal for pardon, as the prisoners don’t admit their guilt. Emanuel Zeltser is serving his term of punishment in penal colony #15 of Mahilou, Funk is in women’s penal colony #4 of Homel.
The United States insists on release of E. Zeltser on humanitarian grounds in connection with his poor state of health.