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US citizen detained in Belarus
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Posted by: Jutman

Interfax. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2004, 6:32 PM Moscow Time

MINSK. Oct 19 (Interfax-West) - The UN Office in Belarus has denied reports that a U.S. citizen, Ilya Mafter, who has been detained in Belarus, is a UN staff officer or expert.
"In connection with the information released by the mass media on 18 October, that the Committee of State Security (KGB) of Belarus has detained 'the UN/UNDP expert Mr. Ilya Mafter', the United Nations Office in Belarus considers it necessary to state the following: Mr. Ilya Mafter was visiting Belarus at the invitation of the UN Office as a representative of the Open Society Institute (OSI) in New York," the office said in a press release on Tuesday.
It said Mafter "is not a UN staff member, nor expert employed by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)."

Posted by: rattlesnake6979

Was he .... a ....spy ?

Rattle

Posted by: Pawel_PL.USA

Those "Open Society Institute" freaks are Soros' people, and so for once I'd have to say that Belarus did good. And so did Putin when he shut down Soros' offices in Russia.

Posted by: BradIL

could this be related, in any way, to election criticism that's been directed to Belarus by the U-S/UN?

Posted by: Khashyar

That's what I was also thinking, Brad...

I wonder if there is more information about this case out there??

Khashyar

(by the way, this topic is Russia (Belarus)-related, so I am going to move it to Russia forum section.....

Khashyar

Posted by: BradIL

Khashyar--- not to veer off topic too seriously, BUT... when reviewing your trip diary to Mogilev, there wasn't much about the election/campaigning. Would be interested on any anecdotes you have in that regard. ---Brad///