US embassy cable - 05MINSK838

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000838 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/15 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, BO 
SUBJECT:QElection Fraud, Oppression, and Job Loss in 
Molodechno 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  On July 15, Poloffs met with NGO and 
political activists in Molodechno, a mid-sized town near 
Minsk.  The activists, who could have been talking about 
any town in Belarus, noted high governmental interference 
in their activities and massive electoral fraud. 
Opposition groups have suffered fines, arrests, set-ups, 
registration denials, and job loss.  Pressure from the 
local authorities has scared away financial assistance from 
local businesses and the lack of venues makes it difficult 
to hold meetings and seminars.  However, the activists 
continue, often unsuccessfully, to inform residents about 
serious community problems, such as mysterious deaths at 
the local military base.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) Poloff met with head of the human rights NGO Vyasna 
Ales Kaputsky, lawyer for the Belarusian Helsinki Committee 
(BHC) and human rights activist Alexei Khvostik, head of 
Molodechno's Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Yan 
Logvinovich, Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (BSDG) 
leader Eduard Balanchuk, and NGO coordinator and 
Logvinovich's wife, Olga, at Kaputsky's house, which also 
serves as the headquarters for his organization as well as 
the BPF and BSDG. 
 
Massive Electoral Fraud 
----------------------- 
 
3. (C) Alexei Khvostik spoke of the authorities' electoral 
fraud techniques, which include forcing people to vote 
early, preventing observers from monitoring, and forging 
voters' signatures on ballots supporting pro-government 
candidates.  In the 2001 presidential election, these 
techniques allowed Lukashenko to gain 99 percent of the 
vote in Molodechno.  In the 2004 parliamentary elections, 
official figures indicated 70 percent of the electorate 
voted while Khvostik reported only 47 percent.  The current 
mayor officially received 53 percent of the vote, but inner 
government sources told Khvostik that he had actually 
received 38 percent while a BKGB source reported 36 
percent. 
 
Limited Activities 
------------------ 
 
4. (C) Kaputsky spoke of government harassment, which has 
made it difficult for NGOs and opposition parties to pursue 
their activities.  Most organizations are not registered 
and are unable to find venues for their functions. Only one 
independent news source, Regionalnaya Gazeta, operates in 
the city, but is often reluctant to advertise NGO and 
political party activities, let alone publish articles on 
important social issues.  Due to little media access and 
governmental interference, information on the time and 
place of meetings is spread by word of mouth. 
 
Political Activities 
-------------------- 
 
5. (C) Yan Logvinovich, head of Molodechno's BPF branch and 
a former leader of Malady Front announced that pro- 
Milinkevich candidates were chosen as delegates for the 
National Congress at regional conferences in Molodechno and 
Vileika.  The regional conference in Molodechno was 
interrupted by a bogus fire alarm and cancelled when four 
fire engines, policemen, and representatives from the 
Ministry of Emergency Situations arrived and closed the 
building.  Fortunately, the meeting reconvened at a 
different location. 
 
6. (C) Logvinovich claimed there was an active, though 
small, youth movement in Molodechno that is constantly 
harassed by the authorities.  Logvinovich's wife, Olga, is 
a coordinator of children's projects and founder of a 
teacher's club as well as an organizer for various 
educational seminars and professional training for local 
teachers.  Unfortunately, government harassment has kept 
local teachers from participating. 
 
Job Loss 
-------- 
 
7. (C) The activists noted how authorities use job security 
 
as a leverage of control over those involved in politics. 
Olga formerly worked as a psychologist at a secondary 
school in Molodechno, but was fired for her political 
activities.  As a student, Logvinovich was expelled twice 
for his political activities and took a job as a forest 
ranger.  He was then fired but eventually reinstated. 
Kaputsky is unemployed and BSDP leader Eduard Balanchuk can 
only find work as a truck driver.  The authorities have 
offered them well-paying jobs as a way to "keep them quiet 
and vulnerable," but they refused. 
 
Stings 
------ 
 
8. (C) Balanchuk described how authorities set up stings to 
punish anyone who is politically active.  Recently, 
Alexander Martynov, a prominant doctor and BHC activist, 
was arrested for possession and distribution of narcotic 
substances.  According to Balanchuk, two of Martynov's 
patients approached him for clean needles and syringes. 
Once the patients got what they needed, the BKGB took them 
aside and made an agreement: testify that Martynov gave 
them narcotics in exchange for no further jail time for 
drug use.  Martynov is now in an isolation cell and could 
face seven years in prison.  His business has since closed 
and his family told BHC to not interfere with the case. 
Unfortunately, these tactics have frightened away most 
business support. 
 
Concerns 
-------- 
 
9. (C) The activists expressed their concerns for the 
future in Molodechno.  The new law on political parties and 
NGOs (septel) threaten their organizations' already shaky 
structure and the ever-increasing number of people seeking 
political asylum abroad is discrediting their cause. 
Balanchuk explained that ten Molodechno residents applied 
for political asylum in the EU because of alleged political 
oppression, but not at all were politically active. 
According to Balanchuk, these "political refugees" just 
want better social and living conditions and make the true 
opposition look like fools, especially when the authorities 
use the stories in their propaganda. 
 
10. (C) The second concern Khvostik spoke of dealt with his 
ongoing case of mysterious deaths at the local military 
base.  The body of a soldier who guarded a military 
compound from which equipment is regularly stolen was found 
riddled with bullets.  A sergeant was found dead with his 
arm broken and other severe injuries.  The rumor is that 
the sergeant refused to go along with a racket that skimmed 
money allocated for the soldiers, which is supposedly a 
common practice in the army ranks.  Therefore, he was 
tortured and hanged.  A quick investigation ruled it a 
suicide.  The victims' families met with the Minister of 
Defense, but did not receive any answer or assistance. 
According to Khvostik, over 200 Belarusian soldiers have 
mysteriously died in the last year. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
11.  (C) The activists' stories highlight the plight of 
social initiative groups, NGOs, and political parties 
across Belarus.  Even though Kaputsky's organization is 
technically illegal, he still receives a steady flow of 
people who need legal counseling or help.  The BPF is 
helping youth organizations gain registration and tries 
(mostly unsuccessfully) to hold seminars for locals on 
economic and government reform.  Khvostik has succeeded in 
some aspects in helping young activists evade fines and/or 
jail time for their activities while working human rights 
cases pro bono.  However, the authorities' pressure has 
made not just their work, but their lives difficult. 
 
KROL