Mr Mogens Lykketofts

Speaker of the Danish Parliament

Dear Sir,Taking into account that Denmark now holds the EU Presidency I would like to inform you aboutthe illegal actions committed against freedom of expression by present business partner of IKEA,Lithuanian Company V.M.G.On November 24 2011, a judge of the Pershamayski District Court in Minsk sentenced MrByalyatski, the leader of a human rights group called Vyasna (Spring) and vice president of theInternational Federation for Human Rights, to four and a half years in prison on a charge of large-scale tax evasion.The charge stemmed from information about Mr Byalyatski’s bank accounts abroad, which wasprovided by authorities in Lithuania. During his trial, Mr Byalyatski insisted that the moneytransferred by various foundations to his bank accounts abroad had been intended to financeVyasna’s activities and therefore could not be viewed as his income.I wish to inform you regarding Mr Byalyatki’s case. That this story is not an accidental slip of theLithuanian Technical Services, issued the data (namely, the Lithuanian government insists) and awell-planned action, followed by IKEA’s partner have the opportunity to realise a very profitableinvestment project in Belarus. The scheme was as follow:A few days before delivery of data the Belarusian authorities have gifted for V.M.G. investmentproject in the Belorussian Mogilev region 77 million euros. This investment project financed bythe European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.V.M.G. advised law firm Bernotas & Dominas Glimstedt via this firm’s branch office in Belarus. Theproject was approved and any such projects in Belarus cannot proceed without the personalapproval of President Lukashenko.A few days later the wife of Mr Bernotas, Ausra Bernotiene who then worked at the Ministry ofJustice of Lithuania in the position of Director of Department of International Cooperation, puts afatal signature on the petition of Belarus to transfer bank data of Mr Byalyatski and other humanrights defenders. Indeed it was a cynical exchange, where the data were transferred to theBelarusian dissidents in exchange for permission to sell the Lithuanian Company V.M.G. permitfrom Minsk who waited eighteen months.

In addition to that incident, I would like to inform you regarding the illegal action committed byrepresentatives of the Company V.M.G. against my publishing house KRONIKA in Lithuania.I have 5 different criminal cases filed on that company for the injuries, they (the representatives ofV.M.G.) made to my publishing house KRONIKA. The case numbers are: 37-1-0217-03 (2003), 37-1-0014-05 (2005), 37-1-0070-05 (2005), 37-1-0043-06 (2006), 64-1-00797-06 (2006). Thesecrimes are committed by executives of GIRIU BIZONAS before IKEA bought GIRIU BIZONAS.Investigations started in Lithuania. Therefore not only was the public prosecutor was interestedabout this illegal action, but also Colonel V.Pociunas, Lithuanian Security Service (DGB) wasinterested too. The V.M.G. Company are trying to stop my case without any proper investigation.Unfortunately by August 2006, Colonel V.Pociunas died accidentally by falling from the ninth floorfrom one of the hotels in Belarus and since then the investigation has lost its momentum.I have sent our petition to the European Parliament about the illegal actions committed againstfreedom of expression. On 06/02/2006 the Chairman of the European Parliament Committee MrMartin Libicki stopped, without any reason petition (number 0760/2005).I am sure that if this petition would be considered in Brussels as it should be, Mr Belyatsky wouldhave been free now.At present my case number 71863/10 is pending before the European Court of Human Rights.Please pay attention to this case. I would appreciate all of your help and assistance in this matterand I will be pleased to give you all the documents I have.

Аleksandr Мinin

Mr Mogens Lykketofts

Speaker of the Danish Parliament