DEAR FRIENDS:

We are writing to you today in great distress about news received from Minsk that a speaker at our September 23, 1998, Briefing Over Breakfast, Vera Stremkovskaya, an attorney, has been summoned for conversations to the Collegium of Advocates and the Ministry of Justice. We understand that she has been informed that she will be disbarred and is accused of violating legal ethics, evidently in connection with remarks she made at the League's briefing.

A letter was shown to her from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID), in which reference was made to two persons from the Belarusian Mission to the UN, namely Mr. Gubarevich and Mr. Vantsevich, who allegedly wrote some sort of denunciation of Ms. Stremkovskaya's remarks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the basis of this communication, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked the Ministry of Justice to "take measures." It is our understanding that the Collegium presidium will meet next week to set up a commission to disbar Ms. Stremkovskaya on the grounds of alleged unethical and illegal behavior while abroad.

We are truly baffled by what could possibly be construed as "unethical" or "unlawful" in the remarks of Ms. Stremkovskaya. We understand that Deputy Justice Minister Golovanov made reference to statements in the MID letter to the effect that during her remarks at the League's meeting, she had "disclosed the secrecy of pre-trial investigation" in discussing the cases of Starovoitov, Klimov, and others. Since all the facts about these detainees' cases are in the public domain and covered in the media, it is a mystery why her general remarks about her clients would be construed as any sort of violation of ethics or law.

We are also gravely troubled that in direct defiance of the Belarusian Mission officials' assurances - made at past breakfast or afternoon meetings at the League - a visiting speaker is suffering direct retaliation for her remarks. Prof. Uladzimir Vantsevich had even commented at the breakfast that the very presence of the visitors, and the freeness with which they traveled abroad and expressed themselves, illustrated that the human rights situation was not so dire in Belarus. Indeed, the League notes the importance of such freedom of movement and freedom of expression in resolving the various crises in Belarus, particularly in the human rights field. In contradiction to these assurances, Ms. Stremkovskaya will face the loss of her profession due to her remarks at the League. To reiterate, her comments and analysis of the state of the rule of law in Belarus cannot be construed as "unlawful" or "unethical."

For this reason, we ask all those non-governmental and governmental organizations with whom Ms. Stremkovskaya met, especially organizations involved in the protection of lawyers and other human rights groups, to write letters of protest to the relevant ministries on behalf of Ms. Stremkovskaya to ensure that no action whatsoever is taken against her and that she is permitted to continue practicing the profession of attorney freely and safely.

Sincerely,

Catherine A. Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, International League for Human Rights

Matvei Yankelevich, Belarus Project Manager, International League for Human Rights

The fax number for Deputy Justice Minister V.G. Golovanov is 011-375-17 / 220-97-55. The fax number for Mr. V.A. Mitrofanov at the Minsk Lawyers' Collegium is 011-375-17 / 226-7394. The fax number at the Belarusian Mission to the UN (Aleg Laptsenok, Igar Gubarevich, Uladzimir Vantsevich) is 212-734-4810 (tel. 212-535-3420). You may also want to urge Dan Turnbull at the State Department to raise the issue of making a public statement; fax 202-647-3506, t. 202-647-6764.

For further information please contact Matvei Yankelevich, Belarus Project Manager at the League, tel. 212-661-0480 fax 212-684-1696; belarus@ilhr.org.