Latvian foreign minister welcomes decision to release Marinich :: Charter'97 :: News

Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pubriks welcomed the Belarusian authorities` decision to release opposition politician Mikhail Marinich on parole.

A panel of Minsk`s Tsentralny District Court made the decision at a session held on Wednesday afternoon in the number one correctional institution in the Belarusian capital.

Mr. Marinich "is the most prominent political prisoner in Belarus. Latvia and other countries and institutions of the European Union repeatedly demanded his release," the Latvian embassy says in its statement.

"Latvia as a neighbor has always wanted to see Belarus a democratic, stable and prosperous state. Latvia and the European Union as a whole believe that it is possible to improve relations with Belarus if it demonstrates willingness to carry out democratic changes and respect human rights. We earnestly hope that the release of Mikhail Marinich is a step in this direction," the statement says.

The 66-year-old politician is to be freed as soon as the administration of the institution is officially notified of the court decision. This may occur within five or seven days, but the lawyer has been told that his client would be released on the afternoon of April 13.

Mr. Marinich, a former minister and diplomat turned opposition leader, was sentenced to five years in prison in December 2004 on what is widely believed to be a politically motivated charge. He was found guilty of misappropriating office equipment that the Delovaya Initsiativa (Business Initiative) association, of which he was chairman, had received from the US embassy for temporary use. Members of the association testified at the trial that they had known that the equipment in question had been kept in the garage of Mr. Marinich`s son after authorities had ordered the association to vacate the rented premises. The United States repeatedly declared that the allegedly stolen computer equipment had at all times remained American property, and that the United States made no claims against Mr. Marinich or his association. In February 2005, he had his prison sentence reduced to 3.5 years for his "past services to the state" and "deteriorated health."

On August 18, 2005 the sentence was reduced by one more year under an amnesty law.

The politician had his request for release on parole rejected on September 23 last year.