Latvia's Ambassador to Belarus, Maira Mora, visits the political prisoner Mikhail Marinich [25 Apr 2005]

On 25 April 2005, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to Belarus, Maira Mora, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to Belarus, Jonas Paslauskas, visited the political prisoner in Belarus, Mikhail Marinich, who is currently in the prison's hospital in Minsk. This is the second time that ambassadors of the European Union countries pay visit to Mikhail Marinich since his imprisonment.

During the meeting the Latvian and Lithuanian ambassadors found that Mikhail Marinich was satisfied with the medical assistance and nursing, was in a good physical form and was preparing to appeal his case at the Supreme Court.

The Latvian Ambassador, Maira Mora, told Mikhail Marinich that people in Latvia were following carefully his state of health and the medical assistance rendered to him. She also recalled Marinich's merits in developing friendly relations between Latvia and Belarus and an open dialogue between both countries and their people. The Latvian and Lithuanian ambassadors congratulated Mikhail Marinich on being awarded the title of Person of the Year by European Movement - Denmark. The ambassadors noted that Marinich's case would be on the agenda of the Council of Europe at the end of April. Ms Maira Mora delivered to Mikhail Marinich the warmest regards from Latvia's diplomats who had been Marinich's colleagues in the period of his holding the post of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Latvia.

Mikhail Marinich expressed his gratitude to the Latvian president, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, for the letter of solidarity sent to Mr Marinich and his family last year, and asked to give his regards to all the people of Latvia who sympathized with him and rendered their support.

The Latvian and Lithuanian ambassadors were grateful to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and  the Prison Administration for the opportunity to visit the former diplomat at the place of incarceration. They also emphasized that not only Latvia and Lithuania but also the other embassies of the European Union countries in Minsk were following closely Mikhail Marinich's imprisonment conditions and state of health, and that they would continue devoting much attention to Marinich's case.  

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