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DE RUEHSK #1558/01 3640929
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R 300929Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3549
INFO RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MINSK 001558 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - December 28, 2005 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by 
Embassy Minsk. 
 
 
------------ 
Human Rights 
------------ 
 
No Protection from Triple Jeopardy in Belarus 
 
¶2. On December 20, the Supreme Economic Court (SEC) overturned its 
own previous ruling and decided that the Belarusian Helsinki 
Committee (BHC) must pay approximately USD 72,000 in fines and back 
taxes that it owes on an EU grant that it received.  The BHC 
chairwoman and chief accountant face possible criminal charges for 
tax evasion and the BHC fears liquidation.  In the past, courts 
have twice ruled that the grant was not taxable under a May 1994 
memorandum between the Belarusian government and the EU, but SEC 
deputy chairman Yevgeny Smirnov challenged the SEC's own ruling 
that BHC was not liable for the taxes, which led to the reopening 
of the case. 
 
State Universities Limit Students' Internet Access 
 
¶3. On December 22, human rights website "Charter 97" published the 
text of two emails that they had received from students at the 
Belarusian State University (BSU) and the Belarusian State Economic 
University (BSEU).  The emails claimed that that university 
authorities are limiting students' access to internet sites both at 
the university and in dormitories.  Attempts to visit opposition 
sites and post comments are investigated and guilty students are 
expelled.  [Note: The BSEU is the university where rector Vladimir 
Shimov recently expelled a top student for traveling to France for 
three days without permission to participate in a European student 
conference.] 
 
Belarus Kicks Out Two Catholic Priests 
 
¶4. On December 22, the GOB refused to renew the visas for two 
Catholic priests from Poland.  The priests must leave the country 
by December 31.  Father Robert Krzywicki, who worked in Borisov for 
more than 10 years, speculated that the authorities expelled him 
due to his work with youth. 
 
Independent Media Takes Another Hit 
 
¶5. On December 23, the independent weekly Salidarnasts was forced 
to suspend publication due to lack of income when the state 
distribution monopoly refused to sell the newspaper at kiosks and 
the state postal monopoly refused to include the newspaper in its 
distribution catalogue.  Earlier, on December 16, Minsk Economic 
Court Judge Yelena Melnikova refused to hear independent newspaper 
Narodnaya Volya's case against the state monopoly postal service 
Belpochta, which refused to distribute the paper, claiming the 
lawsuit was outside the court's jurisdiction. 
 
Authorities Intimidate Participants in Day of Solidarity 
 
¶6. Press reports indicated that on December 16 authorities took 
steps to intimidate the participants in the "Day of Solidarity," 
commemorating those who persecuted by the GOB.  Independent media 
source BelaPAN reports that police officers counted the number of 
windows with candles in them and recorded the names and addresses 
of the Russian journalists who came to cover the event.  BelaPAN 
also reported that student dormitory wardens required students to 
be in their rooms with their lights on during the event. 
 
Opposition Activist Can't Print News Bulletin 
 
¶7. Press reported that on December 16, police charged opposition 
youth activist Pavel Krasovsky with an administrative offense for 
defaming public officials after he refused to stop printing his 
local news bulletin, "Nablyudatel," that contained caricatures of 
local government officials.  Krasovsky disputed the charge stating 
that the caricatures were intended to be humorous. 
 
Political Prisoner's Son Detained, Charged 
 
¶8. On December 23, police in Grodno detained Vladimir Levonevsky 
for distributing a news bulletin in the city's central market. 
Police confiscated 250 copies of the bulletin, held Vladimir for 
two hours, and charged him with distributing printed material that 
lacked editorial information.  This charge carries with it a 
possible fine of USD 70.  Vladimir insisted his bulletin had the 
required information, contained only New Year's greetings and 
information on government business regulations, and violated no 
laws.  Vladimir is the son of Valery Levonevsky, in jail for two 
years for writing a poem deemed insulting to Lukashenko. 
 
Residents Protest Paper Ban 
 
 
MINSK 00001558  002 OF 004 
 
 
¶9. On December 22, Vitebskoblsoyuzpechat, the state body that 
controls the state monopoly newspaper kiosk system in Vitebsk 
oblast, told independent Vitebsk newspaper Vitebskiy Kurier it 
could no longer be sold in kiosks.  More than 1,600 local residents 
immediately signed a letter of protest to regional officials. 
 
Zubr Youths Arrested 
 
¶10. On December 27, police detained two members of the Zubr youth 
group, Aleksandr Kazakov and Dmitry Zubro, for spray painting the 
number 16 inside a circle -- a Zubr/Charter 97 campaign to get 
Belarusians to remember the victims of the regime on the 16th of 
each month.  The youth have remained in detention since their 
arrest, and on December 30 authorities charged them with the 
criminal act of disobeying a police officer. 
 
 
--------- 
Economics 
--------- 
 
Another Company Golden Shared 
 
¶11. On December 20, the Council of Ministers invoked the Golden 
Share law to take control of Minsk textile factory Kamvol for 
one year.  In 2004 Kamvol was added to a list of Belarusian 
strategic enterprises, which needed to improve their financial 
standing.  Despite (or perhaps because of) increasing 
production by 33 percent in 2005, the state decided to take 
over the company.  Immediately after taking control of the 
company, the GOB's State Light Industry Concern (Bellegprom) 
suggested lending Kamvol money in exchange for the state 
receiving 99 percent ownership of the plant.  Kamvol has 1,800 
employees and is one of the CIS' largest manufacturers of 
worsted wool. 
 
De-Privatization to Become Total? 
 
¶12. The Interfax news service reported a government official 
told them about a bill currently being drafted that would allow 
the GOB to de-privatize any property that was being mismanaged. 
The source claimed the GOB was actively restoring state 
ownership of many firms in exchange for paying off their debts 
to the state budget, such as through the Golden Share, but that 
this approach was taking too long.  The new bill would make 
this process "less lengthy and more transparent." 
 
Potatoes to Rescue Motorcycle Company 
 
¶13. Workers at the motorcycle factory Motovelo held a brief 
strike on November 25 to protest their not receiving wages for 
two months.  Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko told a 
press conference on December 16 that 95 percent of Motovelo's 
equipment was worn out, and that the company would lose BYR 9 
billion [USD 4.2 million] in 2005.  To solve this problem, 
Semashko recommended Motovelo build 20 potato harvesters before 
the 2006 sowing season begins.  The same day, President 
Lukashenko publicly scolded Motovelo's workers for going on 
strike, lauded the potato harvester idea, but announced the 
plant should continue to build motorcycles.  On December 20, 
the GOB announced it would erase Motovelo's debts in exchange 
for 90 percent of the company (see the two items above).  All 
the company's shares currently belong to employees. 
 
Belarus to Buy Ukrainian Energy 
 
¶14. On December 16, the GOB signed a contract to buy 2.5 
billion kWh from Ukraine in 2006, for USD 0.022 per kWh.  The 
contract, worth USD 52 million, would import electricity from 
Chernobyl to Mozyr, and from Chernihiv to Gomel. 
 
Less Bankrupt Farms 
 
¶15. Deputy Agriculture Minister Nadezhda Kotkovets announced 
the number of bankrupt state farms fell from 1,203 to 50 in 
¶2005.  She claimed that 771 farms became profitable through 
their own efforts, while another 425 became profitable after 
they were merged with actually profitable farms.  [Comment: 
Post doubts that 771 state farms became profitable this year 
through their own efforts.] 
 
Trade with Moscow Plummets 
 
¶16. On December 20, Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky and Moscow 
Mayor Yury Luzhkov announced Belarus' trade with Moscow fell by 
45.5 percent in the first ten months of the year, to USD 2.5 
billion.  Belarus' exports fell 8.6 percent to USD 1.6 billion, 
while its imports from Moscow fell 65.4 percent to USD 907.6 
million.  Both blamed the fall on the January switch of VAT to 
the country-of-destination principle. 
 
 
MINSK 00001558  003 OF 004 
 
 
Tax Arrears Climb 
 
¶17. The Ministry of Taxes announced that tax arrears in Belarus 
climbed 37.6 percent in the first eleven months of the year to 
BYR 323.7 billion (USD 150.5 million). 
 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
Immigration to Israel From CIS Down, Except for Belarus 
 
¶18. On December 28, the Jewish Agency for Israel announced that 
9,124 immigrants moved to Israel from the former Soviet Union (FSU) 
in 2005, which is a 10 percent decrease from last year.  The number 
of immigrants from Belarus to Israel, however, increased by 26 
percent. 
 
Belarus al-Qaeda Arrested in Spain 
 
¶19. Spanish police announced they arrested a Belarusian 
chemical weapons expert who was a member of al-Qaeda.  Thirty- 
year-old Minsk resident Andrey Misyura, aka Sergey Malyshev, 
aka Amin al-Ansari reportedly recruited suicide bombers in 
Spain, and had fought in Chechnya, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 
 
"Merry Christmas, It's the Fuzz!!" 
 
¶20. Minsk Police conducted an operation called, "Who's There? 
It's the Police Santa Claus!" from December 19 to 23.  Dressing 
as Santa Claus, police officers went around Minsk trying to 
convince homeowners to open their doors to a stranger.  Those 
who refused to open their door received a prize for having the 
correct level of security awareness. 
 
----------------------- 
International Relations 
----------------------- 
 
EU Missions in Minsk Outraged By Misinformation on State TV 
 
¶21. On December 19 and 23, the German, French and Czech 
Embassies issued statements condemning state television 
allegations that visa applicants are encouraged to engage in 
opposition activities.  On December 16 and 18, the Belarusian 
State TV program "In Focus" showed a story entitled "Visa 
Blackmail" where two unidentified men claim that embassy 
officials told them that they must engage in opposition 
activity if they wish to receive visas.  The EU missions deny 
such accusations and reminded the GOB that such lies strain EU- 
Belarusian relations. 
 
 
------- 
Science 
------- 
 
Belarus to Explore Antarctica 
 
¶22. In Belarus' ongoing quest to gain all the trappings of a 
world power, on December 19 National Academy of Sciences 
President Mikhail Myasnikovich announced the GOB would open a 
research station in Antarctica.  Myasnikovich explained, 
"Opening a research station in Antarctica is, on the one hand, 
political prestige, and on the other hand a scientific 
achievement."  In another purely prestigious move, Belarus 
hopes to launch its first satellite in 2006, on a Russian 
booster. 
 
 
------------------ 
Quotes of the Week 
------------------ 
 
¶23. After naming new Belarusian KGB officials On December 22, 
Lukashenko offered advice to the new appointees: 
 
The appointees should "support the freedom-loving independent 
nation [of Belarus] that never takes orders from anybody or stands 
in somebody's way....  This nation will never let anyone interfere 
in its business.  This is our simple formula." 
 
¶24. On December 26 in an interview with "Rossiiskaya Gazeta," 
Lukashenko commented on the impossibility of revolution ever 
occurring the US: 
 
"God forbid such a thing [revolution] should happen in the United 
States; there would be tanks firing at the opposition." 
 
¶25. Comparing NATO to Hitler's Germany, state television 
 
MINSK 00001558  004 OF 004 
 
 
propagandist Yevgeniy Novikov announced on state TV December 23, 
 
"NATO forces are just a few kilometers away from the Belarusian 
city of Brest!  In this situation it is extremely important that 
Russian and Belarus maintain loyalty to each other, no matter what 
it takes." 
 
PHLIPOT