Independent US doctor allowed to see Zeltser
- 26.06.2008, 11:01
An independent US doctor has been allowed to see American lawyer Emanuel Zeltser, kept in the Belarusian KGB jail.
As BelaPAN has learnt from lawyer Zmitser Harachka, the doctor is to examine E. Zeltser in the morning of 26 June. The lawyer found it difficult to say how many Belarusian doctors were present at the examination. According to him, a medical comment of the US specialist can be introduced to the press.
It should be reminded that negotiations on visit of an American doctor were carried out between the Ministry of Foreign Affaires of Belarus and the US Embassy in Minsk. It was supposed that Zeltser’s physician Leo Paukman should examine him, but finally the parties agreed to choose an independent expert. A doctor came from New York late night on 24 June and filed an official request for visiting the arrested man in the KGB jail, which was satisfied.
It should be reminded that American lawyer E. Zeltser and his secretary Vladlena Funk, Russia’s citizen, were detained in Minsk on 12 March. They are accused of using fake documents by a group of people. The details of the arrest are not commented, as the case is a state secretary.
On 27 May a case on part 1 of article 328 (possession and smuggling of illegal drugs) and part 2 of article 228 of the Criminal Code (drugs smuggling) was instituted against E. Zeltser. He hasn’t been presented the charged over the case, which doesn’t have a status of state secret. Zeltser’s physician appealed to the Prosecutor General Office several times saying the medicines, seized during the detention, are vital for his patient. He also said he had never informed his patient the medicines contained the substances which cab be considered narcotics.
It is planned that Zemter, Funk and their lawyer Zmitser Harachka will began to study the materials of the criminal case on 30 June.
It’s worth noting E. Zeltser is a lawyer of US citizen Joseph Kay, a distant relative of Georgian businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili. After Patarkatsishvili’s death on 13 February, J. Kay presented documents, proving he was an executor of his will. The documents were prepared by E. Zeltser, but B. Patarkatsishvili’s relatives say they were forged, after that E. Zeltser was detained in Minsk. On 13 May Tbilisi court has recognized Joseph Kay as a legitimate executor of the will, by this confirming the documents are authentic.