"Mr. Starovoitov was born in the village of Barok in the Belynichi distict, the Mogilyov region, on June 13, 1924. During World War II, he took an active part in guerilla warfare against German invaders. In 1957, Mr. Starovoitov was appointed to head a state farm in the Klimovichi district, the Mogilyov region. In 1968, he became chairman of the collective farm Rassvet based in the village of Myshkovichi in the Kirovsk district, which was transformed into a joint-stock company in 1992."
"While being at the head of the Rassvet collective farm, Mr. Starovoitov managed to make it one of the best agricultural enterprises in the USSR. He is twice Hero of Socialist Labour. Mr. Starovoitov was elected five times to the Central Committee of the BSSR Communist Party and was a member of the USSR Supreme Soviet."
"In 1994, during the first presidential elections, Mr. Starovoitov, being on the campaign team of Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich, carelessly called for voting against Aleksandr Lukashenko. In 1997, Mr. Starovoitov deteriorated relations with the head of the district executive committee, Mr. Stepanchenko, by refusing to prolong a contract on the state purchase of milk until the government pays off its 5-billion debt for the previous deliveries. There were reports that Mr. Stepanchenko then complained to Yevgeny Mikolutsky, chief of the regional department of the State Control Committee, prompting to ruin Rassvet by endless inspections."
"A few weeks after the assassination of Mikolutsky, enemies of Mr. Starovoitov might have named him as one of those who had ordered the killing."
"Mr. Starovoitov had been held in jail from November 12, 1997, through November 11, 1999, finishing his sentence in the Orsha high security labor camp. He had been transferred there from the Bobruisk detention center on July 25, 1999. He had faced charges of misappropriation of public funds and other offences, for which he was sentenced to two years imprisonment after a very controversial trial. The US considered him a political prisoner."
"The Belarusian authorities should realize that the system of collective and state farms has become obsolete, says Vasily Starovoitov, ex-head of a once successful collective farm and later stock company named Rassvet, who was released on November 11 after spending two years in jail."
"Mr. Starovoitov headed Rassvet for 30 years. Despite difficulties the farm was facing in the preceding few years, it had 20 billion rubels in its bank account in 1997, Mr. Starovoitov told BelaPAN. According to him, Rassvet invested about $2 million in development in five years before 1997. Now Rassvet owes the government 500 billion rubels as a result of recent loans that failed to generate a return, Mr. Starovoitov said. 'There will never be a return. The farm is run by the government and produces what it is told to. But I am no longer interested in Rassvet. It is not my business,' Mr. Starovoitov said."
"He believes that the collective farm system will completely collapse in one or two years. To keep collective farms afloat, according to him, the government must spend 3 to 4 times more on agriculture in order to buy new equipment and fertilizers and to revive construction, but the government has not got enough money for that. "
"In the opinion of Mr. Starovoitov, the only solution would be to turn collective farms into stock companies and to encourage private farmers, as did the Baltic States. At first, he said, they had to struggle for survival, but now Lithuania supplies Belarus with agricultural produce, because people there were given land and allowed to farm and sell their products freely. As a result, he added, products have become cheaper, and people have learned how to earn money."
"Mr. Starovoitov believes that Belarus' system of administrative control over the economy has no future."
"Front-rank farm manager Vasily Starovoitov was released from a corrective labor camp in Orsha on the morning of November 11 [1999]."
"Mr. Starovoitov's relatives met him at the gate and took him to the village of Myshkovichi near Kirovsk, where his family resides. Mr. Starovoitov's wife told BelaPAN that her husband felt alright, both mentally and physically."
"Mr. Starovoitov, 75, once ran a large farm named Rassvet. He was arrested on numerous criminal charges on November 11, 1997. In late May 1999, he was convicted of large-scale embezzlement, repeated bribery, concealment of profits, contraband and some other crimes and sentenced to two years and forfeiture of property. He was also deprived of the right to hold administrative jobs for 3 years upon release. However, he had to spend only slightly over 5 months in prison because his pretrial detention and trial had taken so long."
"Mr. Starovoitov was born in a village in the Mogilyov region on June 13, 1924. During World War II he took an active part in guerilla warfare against the German invaders. In 1957 he was appointed to head a state farm in the Klimovichi district in the Mogilyov region. In 1968 he became chairman of the Rassvet farm based in the village of Myshkovichi in the Kirovsk district, which was transformed into a joint-stock company in 1992."
"Mr. Starovoitov managed to make Rassvet one of the best agricultural enterprises in the USSR. He was elected five times to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Byelorussia and was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1994, during the first presidential elections in Belarus, Mr. Starovoitov was on Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich's team and was incautious enough to agitate against Mr. Lukashenko."
"The Kirovsk District Court sentenced agroindustrialist Vasily Starovoitov to forfeiture of property and 2 years in a high-security labor camp. Oleg Shapovalov and Aleksandr Yevstratov, division managers at the collective farm of Rassvet, which Mr. Starovoitov ran prior to arrest, were sentenced to forfeiture of property and 5 years in a high-security camp. In addition, the court deprived Mr. Starovoitov of the right to hold administrative positions for 3 years after release, and Messrs. Shapovalov and Aleksandr Yevstratov for 5 years."
"The text of the sentence comprised over 250 pages, it took Judge Nadezhda Khmara two sessions (on May 28-29) to read it, and those present had to stand all the time. The hearings were interrupted more than once, as deputy judges and the judge herself were taken bad."
"The prosecution demanded 5 years for Mr. Starovoitov, but the judge dismissed some of the charges. In particular, the defendant was acquitted of "violations of business regulations", "sales of defective goods", "storing arms" and "organizing a criminal group"."
"Still, he was found guilty of "grand larceny" under Article 91, Part 4 of the Criminal Code, of "repeated bribery" under Article 170, Part 2, of "concealment of profits" under Article 161, Part 1, of "contraband" under Article 75 and of some other crimes. The court took into account Mr. Starovoitov's old age, his being a war and labor veteran, as well as numerous petitions by international organizations in his support."
"According to Mr. Starovoitov's lawyer, Vera Stremkovskaya, her client hoped to be fully acquitted and took the sentence badly. Ms. Stremkovskaya has already filed an appeal with the Mogilyov Regional Court. However, although she expresses confidence of her client's innocence, she doubts that he may be amnestied "to repair the damage", because Rassvet has failed, despite the lawyer's demands, to assess damage caused allegedly by the defendant."
"Mr. Starovoitov has been held in jail since November 11, 1997, so he will have to spend only slightly over 5 months behind bars. In the opinion of some observers, the authorities are trying to incline Mr. Starovoitov to send a repentant letter to Aleksandr Lukashenko to give the president an opportunity to make a handsome gesture and pardon the 75-year-old twice Hero of Socialist Labor. In any case, Ms. Stremkovskaya believes that it was a show trial."
"Mr. Starovoitov was born in a village in the Mogilyov region on June 13, 1924. During World War II he took an active part in guerilla warfare against the German invaders. In 1957 he was appointed to head a state farm in the Klimovichi district in the Mogilyov region. In 1968 he became chairman of the Rassvet farm based in the village of Myshkovichi in the Kirovsk district, which was transformed into a joint- stock company in 1992."
"Mr. Starovoitov managed to make Rassvet one of the best agricultural enterprises in the USSR. He was elected five times to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Byelorussia and was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1994, during the first presidential elections in Belarus, Mr. Starovoitov was on Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich's team and was incautious enough to agitate against Mr. Lukashenko."
"On May 28 [1999], Judge Nadezhda Chmara began reading the sentence imposed by the Kirovsk District Court on well-known agro-industrialist Vasily Starovoitov and his two lieutenants, Aleksandr Yevstratov and Oleg Shapovalov. The text of the sentence comprises over 500 pages, it took the judge four and a half hours to read the first 100 pages on May 28, and the audience had to stand all the time. The hearing was interrupted twice, because one of the two deputy judges was taken bad."
"It is now known that Mr. Starovoitov was found guilty of abusing his position under Article 166, Part 2 of the Criminal Code; of exceeding his authority under Article 167, Part 1; of deliberate downward distortions of profit under Article 160; and of contraband under Article 75. At the same time, some charges against Messrs. Starovoitov and Shapovalov were dismissed."
"The reading will continue on May 29."
"Mr. Starovoitov has been held in jail since November 11, 1997. He was born in a village in the Mogilyov region on June 13, 1924. During World War II, he took an active part in guerilla warfare against German invaders. In 1957, Mr. Starovoitov was appointed to head a state farm in the Klimovichi district, the Mogilyov region. In 1968, he became chairman of the collective farm Rassvet based in the village of Myshkovichi in the Kirovsk district, which was transformed into a joint-stock company in 1992. While being at the head of the Rassvet collective farm, Mr. Starovoitov managed to make it one of the best agricultural enterprises in the USSR. He is twice Hero of Socialist Labor. Mr. Starovoitov was elected five times to the Central Committee of the BSSR Communist Party and was a member of the USSR Supreme Soviet."
"In 1994, during the first presidential elections in Belarus, Mr. Starovoitov, being on the campaign team of Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich, carelessly called for voting against Aleksandr Lukashenko."
" 'I cannot remain silent when the conscience of the Belarusian nation has been put in a cage,' stresses Semyon Sharetsky, chairman of the 13th Supreme Soviet (Belarus' legislature dismantled as a result of the November 1996 referendum), in his recent newspaper article about Vasily Starovoitov's prosecution."
"Mr. Starovoitov, the 75-year-old former chairman of the Rassvet agro-industial company, was arrested in November 1997 and faces charges of misappropriation of public funds and other offences. His trial began on November 30, 1998. The author points out that Mr. Starovoitov, as twice Hero of Socialist Labour, had the right to have his bust erected in his birthplace. However, according to Mr. Sharetsky, 'Vasily Konstantinovich [Starovoitov] displayed modesty and rejected this honour. Naturally, he never thought that the metal saved that way would now come useful for the cage in which he has been placed.' "
"Mr. Sharetsky expresses surprise that 'the former first secretaries of the Communist Party of Belarus Central Committee, the chairmen of the Supreme Soviet Presidium and the chairmen of the Council of Ministers of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic' who once praised Mr. Starovoitov have remained silent apropos of the 'dirty story' of Starovoitov's prosecution."
"Addressing to Russian politicians, Mr. Sharetsky asks, 'Do you not see the lawlessness which rules in Russia's ally country?' He expressed confidence that both Mr. Starovoitov, 'the best son of Belarus' and those who 'arranged the reprisal" will 'get an adequate place in history.' "
"On December 22 [1998], Judge Nadezhda Chmara of the District Court in Kirovsk, the Mogilyov region, sustained defence lawyer Garri Pogonyailo's petition that Vasily Starovoitov should be subject to a comprehensive medical workup."
"The 74-year-old former chairman of the Rassvet agro-industrial company, faces grand larceny and other charges under 9 articles of the Belarusian Criminal Code. His trial began on November 30."
"The judge rejected the defence's petition that Mr. Starovoitov be released under his written pledge not to flee, and said that his release would depend on the results of the workup."
"The trial is to resume on January 8 [1999]."
"The trial of Vasily Starovoitov, the former chairman of the Rassvet agro-industrial company based in the Kirovsk district, and two Rassvet division managers, Aleksandr Yevstratov and Oleg Shapovalov, resumed in the Kirovsk District Court on December 21 [1998]."
"Mr. Starovoitov faces charges under 9 articles of the Belarusian Criminal Code, Mr. Yevstratov under 5 articles, and Mr. Shapovalov under 4 articles."
"On December 21, Vera Stremkovskaya and Garri Pogonyailo, members of the defence team, petitioned once again that Mr. Starovoitov be released from detention under a written pledge not to flee. They attached to their request numerous petitions by Belarusian and international human rights organizations and individuals, including Georgy Lepin, chairman of the Chernobyl Union, and Mikhail Pastukhov, the former Constitutional Court judge. Mr. Lepin attended the hearing to personally vouch for Mr. Starovoitov. However, Judge Nadezhda Chmara denied him the floor. Mr. Pogonyailo also requested that Mr. Starovoitov be subject to a thorough medical examination in hospital conditions."
"Prosecutor Aleksandr Kazakevich proposed that the session be closed and the trial resume on December 22."
"In the last three days, the state of Mr. Starovoitov's health has slightly improved. His December 19 meeting with representatives of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus might have contributed to this. However, speaking in court, Mr. Starovoitov described his state as bad and supposed that his transportation to the courtroom would soon require a stretcher. "
"A trial of Vasily Starovoitov, the ex-chairman of the Rassvet agro-industrial company, and two managers of this company, Aleksandr Yevstratov and Oleg Shapovalov, began in the Court of the Kirovsk district on November 30. Only close relatives and journalists were allowed to be present at the court room which was guarded by reinforced police details."
"The trial is chaired by Judge Nadezhda Chmara. Mr. Starovoitov is represented by Vera Stremkovskaya, and Messrs. Yevstratov and Shapovalov by lawyers from Kirovsk and Bobruisk. The judge complied with the petition by Ms. Stremkovskaya to allow lawyer Garri Pogonyailo to participate in the trial as a representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, but rejected her petition to release Mr. Starovoitov on his written pledge not to flee."
"The judge explained that if during the trial the state of Mr. Starovoitov's health changed for the worse, she would take a positive view of such petitions. The judge rejected a petition by Pogonyailo and Stremkovskaya for an additional investigation. The lawyers argued that Vasily Leonov, the former minister of agriculture and foodstuffs, had allegedly been an accomplice in offenses allegedly committed by Mr. Starovoitov, who faces grand larceny charges. Nevertheless, the panel said that they will summon Mr. Leonov, who is now in jail pending trial, as a witness."
"Mr. Starovoitov has been charged under 9 articles of the Criminal Code, Messrs. Yevstratov and Shapovalov faces charges under 6 articles. Mr. Pogonyailo told BelaPAN that he thought the trial will not be protracted."
"Mr. Starovoitov was born in the village of Barok in the Belynichi distict, the Mogilyov region, on June 13, 1924. During World War II, he took an active part in guerilla warfare against German invaders. In 1957, Mr. Starovoitov was appointed to head a state farm in the Klimovichi district, the Mogilyov region. In 1968, he became chairman of the collective farm Rassvet based in the village of Myshkovichi in the Kirovsk district, which was transformed into a joint-stock company in 1992."
"While being at the head of the Rassvet collective farm, Mr. Starovoitov managed to make it one of the best agricultural enterprises in the USSR. He is twice Hero of Socialist Labour. Mr. Starovoitov was elected five times to the Central Committee of the BSSR Communist Party and was a member of the USSR Supreme Soviet."
"In 1994, during the first presidential elections, Mr. Starovoitov, being on the campaign team of Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich, carelessly called for voting against Aleksandr Lukashenko. In 1997, Mr. Starovoitov deteriorated relations with the head of the district executive committee, Mr. Stepanchenko, by refusing to prolong a contract on the state purchase of milk until the government pays off its 5-billion debt for the previous deliveries. There were reports that Mr. Stepanchenko then complained to Yevgeny Mikolutsky, chief of the regional department of the State Control Committee, prompting to ruin Rassvet by endless inspections."
"A few weeks after the assassination of Mikolutsky, enemies of Mr. Starovoitov might have named him as one of those who had ordered the killing."