Zeltser was charged with smuggling "psychotropic" drugs. Patton and Boggs have construed this matter as torture. For as much as I, or anyone, may deplore the state of affairs in Belarus, I have serious reserves that being deprived of some psychotropic drugs, illegal in Belarus, can be construed as torture. Zeltser was under medical cure while in prison.

As for the medical assistance farrago propagated by the SaveEmanuelZeltser site, Zeltser received medical aid and medical visits as requested by the U.S. diplomatic corps and his brother, Mark Zeltser. The visits were then misrepresented through base propaganda on the aforesaid site. The fact that Emanuel was found to be in good health by an American doctor was dismissed as having been orchestrated by giving him "get-well" drugs just before the visit.

Actually, Mark Zeltser dragged his feet on the one hand crying out for medical visits and then effectively creating obstacles to those same visits so as to perpetuate the patent misrepresentation of Zeltser's health problems.

We're to take it as blanket proof the simple enunciation by a PR studio that Zeltser had diabetes or heart problems. He may indeed be afflicted but the family has yet to offer evidence of any sort.

As far as privacy is concerned, it has become a catch-all for abuse. It is far too easy to hide "proof" behind privacy and closed doors. I have argued elsewhere that notorious public figures cannot invoke privacy, all the more so when they abuse it. Zeltser has been a public figure for 15 years. Like Limbaugh his rights to pertinent aspects of his privacy can be questioned.