Dear Friends:

On October 27, at 5:30 in the afternoon, Vera Stremkovskaya, a prominent civil defense lawyer who recently visited the US at the League's invitation, was reprimanded at the Presidium of the Minsk Collegium of Advocate [the bar association], where twenty-five officials were present. Stremkovskaa was questioned about the letters coming in by fax from various international organizations and bar associations on her behalf. She was told that she did not belong at the Collegium and that her actions were an insult to the Collegium in front of the whole international community.

According to Ms. Stremkovskaya, the officials went in and out of the meeting hall to bring more and more faxes containing letters from Western organizations on her behalf. They waved these faxes in her face, blaming her for all the attention. Based on this information, it is unlikely that the Collegium will back down from their attempt to disbar Stremkovskaya. However, as of yet the necessary proceedings have not been scheduled, to our knowledge.

Randal LeCocq, Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Minsk, brought up Stremkovskaya during his recent visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID), but officials there claimed to have no knowledge of the case.

During her stay in Minsk, Catherine Fitzpatrick, the League's Executive Director, has met or heard of at least four other lawyers who had been disbarred for defending members of the political opposition or related cases. We are concerned that the freedom of practice for all civil defense lawyers and human rights advocates is in great danger.

We hope that you will continue your support on behalf of Vera Stremkovskaya and we will keep you informed of any further developments.

Sincerely,

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 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 send a copy of your fax to Dan Turnbull at the State Department: fax 202-647-3506, t. 202-647-6764.

For further information please call tel. 212-661-0480, fax 212-684-1696; belarus@ilhr.org.