Ambassadors of Lithuania and Latvia visited Mikhail Marynich in prison

26.04.2005.

On 25 April the ambassadors of Lithuania and Latvia Ionas Paslauskas and Maira Mora visited the former minister and ambassador of Belarus to Riga Mikhail Marynich in the hospital. He is now serving a sentence that is politically-motivated in the opinion of international human rights groups and countries of the West. Mr. Marynich suffered a heart attack in prison.
The ambassadors Ionas Paslauskas and Maira Mora showed Mikhail Marynich a certificate saying that the European Movement of Denmark had conferred on him the title Person of the Year 2005. Ms Mora noted that people in Latvia are concerned over Mikhail Marynich's fate, especially by the recent heart attack the opposition politician had in prison. Riga remembers Mikhail Marynich as a good ambassador, added Ms Mora.
Ms Mora said the visit by the ambassadors of Lithuania and Latvia is sought to demonstrate "close attention" paid to him by the international community. Earlier Mikhail Marynich was visited in prison by the UK ambassador Brian Benet, and the OSCE office head Eberhard Heiken.
According to Maira Mora, Mr. Marynich was glad to learn that Latvia is finally represented by an ambassador in Belarus rather than a temporary plenipotentiary as before. Mikhail Marynich did not complain about the imprisonment conditions.
According to Ms Mora, the head of the prison hospital said that after 9 May they would once again invite civilian doctors to examine Mr. Marynich. Maira Mora added that she together with other fellow-ambassadors would like to hand over to Mr. Marynich the necessary drugs. (according to Radio Liberty).