Latvian president promises to closely follow Marinich trial :: Charter'97 :: News

Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga promised to reporters in Riga on Monday that she would be closely following the trial of the former Belarusian ambassador to Riga, Mikhail Marinich, which is to start on December 23. The president expressed hope that the trial would be fair and impartial and that the state of Mr. Marinich`s health would be taken into consideration, Aiva Rosenberga, press secretary of the Latvian president, told BelaPAN.

According to her, on December 20, Ms. Vike-Freiberga had a meeting with diplomats representing Latvia abroad to discuss a petition for support that she had received from the sons of the jailed Belarusian politician.

The press secretary also said that Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks was planning to make an official statement in connection with the trial of Mr. Marinich within the next few days.

The 64-year-old Marinich is facing charges of "illegal actions regarding firearms, ammunition and explosives" and "theft through abuse of office, committed by an organized group, or grand theft." In particular, he is alleged to have illegally possessed a firearm and misappropriated office equipment that the Delovaya Initsiativa (Business Initiative) association, of which he is chairman, had received for temporary use.

Mr. Marinich has been kept in the pre-trial detention center of the Committee for State Security (KGB) since April 26. The politician does not admit his guilt and insists that the charges against him are trumped-up and politically motivated.

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