Europe’s leaders meet with Belarusian opposition

The Belarusian opposition was met on the highest level at the Eastern Partnership summit in Warsaw.

The Belarusian opposition delegation held a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Minister of State responsible for European Issues David Lidington, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg.

The Belarusian side was represented by relatives of political prisoners – Andrei Sannikov’s sister Iryna Bahdanava, Mikalai Statkevich’s wife Maryna Adamovich – as well as Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Anatol Lyabedzka, Ryhor Kastusyou, Valery Matskevich, Vital Rymasheuski, Yury Hubarevich, Syarhei Kalyakin, Ales Mikhalevich.

As Iryna Bahdanava, the sister of imprisoned presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, told charter97.org, at all meetings she focused attention of European politicians on the situation with political prisoners saying that Europe weakened pressure on the Belarusian regime and started separate talks instead of putting an end to the dictatorship in the centre of Europe by imposing economic sanctions.

“Maryna Adamovich and I mostly spoke about the situation with political prisoners, about gross human rights violations in Belarus. Some participants of the talks said the situation in Belarus had improved. This remark provoked indignation – the situation is becoming worse, repressions are becoming tougher and more sophisticated. Yes, most of the political prisoners were released, but those remaining in prisons have faced even crueler treatment. I said that Europe does not notice what is happening to Andrei Sannikov and Zmitser Dashkevich. Few politicians made protests statements. I may seem that Europe has decided that the events in Belarus are normal – no one is shocked and impressed by this.

Angela Merkel and I have the same moral platform. A step-be-step programme was offered during discussion of ways to help Belarus. But one cannot agree with calls to hold free parliamentary elections through a dialogue with Lukashenka. Talks with Lukashenka are Utopia. Merkel supported my opinion. I stood categorically against any direct contacts with Lukashenka, because this legitimizes him. If one wants to solve practical questions, it can be done on a technical level, not on high political level.

It was also noted at the meeting that the Belarusian authorities should not receive loans. I spoke for imposing economic sanctions. This is the only measure able to free political prisoners and lead to free elections. I asked Merkel to appeal the Deutche Bank directly urging it not to support the regime of Lukashenka and buy Belarusian Eurobonds. The chancellor promised to fulfill this.

We also called to impose visa restrictions against prison authorities, prosecutors, judges of courts of appeal involved in persecution of political prisoners,” Iryna Bahdanava said.

Iryna Bahdanava and political prisoner and Sannikov’s spokesman Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, Free Theatre director Natallya Kalyada, head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak, member of Viasna Human Rights Centre Tatsyana Ravyaka, head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhanna Litvina met with British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Nick Clegg was handed in the petition signed by about 1,000 prominent cultural figures and world’s leaders, including Vaclav Havel and Tom Stoppard.

The text of the petition:

“Belarus is one of the world’s least free countries

Ranked worse than Iran on press freedom, worse than Zimbabwe on human rights, opposition activists have 'disappeared' or died in disputed circumstances and youth leaders subjected to mock executions. Meanwhile tens of thousands of its citizens have been denied permission to leave the country and European leaders like Silvio Berlusconi and Dalia Grybauskaite turn a blind eye to the regime's worst abuses in the interests of business.

Independent journalists, human rights and civil society activists, theatre and film-makers alongside the progressive people of Belarus continually struggle against oppressive measures and draconian censorship aimed directly at their basic freedoms and the universal right to free expression.

We the undersigned believe this situation in Belarus to be the world's shame.

We demand the immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus including four presidential candidates, journalists and many demonstraters jailed in the wake of Belarus's recent elections and we call upon the President of Belarus to respect fundamental human rights and to abolish the repressive laws that breach them.”

As Natallya Kalyada told charter97.org, she told at the meetings with British ministers that the forthcoming parliamentary elections was another play of the authorities and Europe would again reach deadlock as it had been in previous years, if it believed the authorities and hoped for holding free elections to the puppet parliament.

The day before, Iryna Bahdanava and Natallya Kalyada had a meeting in Liverpool with Douglas Alexander, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, and Stephen Twigg, the Shadow Minister for Human Rights. The women spoke about holding debate on Belarus in the British Parliament.

Activists of European Belarus civil campaign carried out a picket near Bristol Hotel, where German Chancellor Angel Merkel was meeting with the Belarusian opposition. Activists held posters “Stop dictatorship in Belarus”, “We demand respect for human rights”, “Economic sanctions against Belarusian dictatorship now”.