Tue 19 Oct 2004
Belarus busts American for providing VoIP, being an entrepreneur without permission
Posted by glenn under VoIPBoingBoingreports:
Authorities in Belarus — the land of my forefathers — have arrested a man for using and providing voice-over-IP services. Check out the way they characterized his activity, “damage to the country’s communications providers,” whew!
US citizen Ilya Mafter has been detained in Belarus because he was believed to have caused about 100,000 US dollars in damage to the country’s communications providers, the Interfax news agency cited sources in the State Security Committee as reporting on Tuesday.
“A preliminary report suggests that damage of about 100,000 US dollars was caused to Belarussian communications providers, including the Beltelecom company, as a result of illegal communications services using IP telephony that were organized by Mafter,” the source said.
The US citizen, who was detained on Oct. 16, is also suspected of “working as an entrepreneur without registration or permission,” said the source.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-10/19/content_2112718.htm
US citizen detained over illegally providing phone services in Belarus
www.chinaview.cn 2004-10-19 21:55:50
MOSCOW, Oct. 19 (Xinhuanet) — US citizen Ilya Mafter has been detained in Belarus because he was believed to have caused about 100,000 US dollars in damage to the country’s communications providers, the Interfax news agency cited sources in the State Security Committee as reporting on Tuesday.
“A preliminary report suggests that damage of about 100,000 US dollars was caused to Belarussian communications providers, including the Beltelecom company, as a result of illegal communications services using IP telephony that were organized by Mafter,” the source said.
The US citizen, who was detained on Oct. 16, is also suspected of “working as an entrepreneur without registration or permission,” said the source.
An announcement about Mafter’s detention was made by State Security Committee Chairman Leonid Yerin at a meeting with Pavel Severintsev, a Belarussian opposition leader, Interfax said.
“Mafter is a United Nations Development Program expert. He was responsible for financing various programs, including information ones. Mafter has misappropriated some of the funds entrusted to him,” Yerin said.
US diplomats were informed of the detention and they have already met with Mafter, he added.
The press service of the US embassy in Minsk said earlier that the embassy was aware of Mafter’s detention. However, it declined to offer further information, referring to the US law on the protection of privacy. Enditem