Sannikov: Belarusians are in the forefront of the fight for European values

Leader of the European Belarus made a statement at the Brussels Forum.

Well-known influential politicians from Europe and the U.S. took part in the International Brussels Forum held in Belgium’s capital on March 15-17. Leader of the civil campaign European Belarus and former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov represented our country.

The politician delivered his speech on March 16, the Day of the Belarusian Solidarity. The text of his speech follows below:

“It's a special and emotional occasion for me to speak here. First of all I would like to use this opportunity to thank you for your support. Two years ago, at this very time I was a prisoner in the KGB jail in Minsk, notorious since the Stalin-times purges. It's still used for the same purpose in dictatorial Belarus. From my lawyer, more from jestures than words, I learnt that Belarus and political prisoners were discussed at the Brussels forum, and that Craig Kennedy asked to convey participants’ support to me, and expressed his hope that soon I’d be able to rejoin you. It was of great importance for me, and it gave me a lot of strength. Thank you once again, and thank you Craig.

One year ago, in the penal colony, I had no access to any information. I was completely isolated. But miraculosely, through prison grapevine I found out that our friends had been talking about me in Brussels, although at that time I had little hope to be released.

And you know what, I was not the only one who hoped for a strong international reaction to what the dictator’s regime had done in Belarus: the violent suppression of the opposition, the repressions that followed. The prisoners hoped that Europe would react accordingly. I know what I’m talking about, because by that time I had been in four prisons and three penal colonies. There is no justice in Belarus. I saw how prisoners hoped for a strong rebuf from Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community, from the democratic world. It was hope that justice will come to Belarus, because Belarus is a part of Europe.

I can only echo the words of Timothy Garton Ash who said that he was speaking as a passionate European. These are not just words, because my presidential campaign was based on the principles of the Belarusian integration to Europe. And it got the people’s support. I can say that the feedback was very active, because we stand for the same values. These values are shared by Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community. In Europe, these values are protected, while in Belarus, the virute is to abuse them. I believe that this is exactly what Tom Stoppard was talking about here two years ago. He tried to warn from treating an abnormal situation as normal, to warn that the solution should not be planned basing on its abnormality.

Today Belarusians are at the forefront of the fight for the values of the European and Euro-Atlantic societies. I try to use every chance to remind about some of these Belarusians who today are prisoners. And today I would like to call their names: Dzmitry Dashkievich, Mikalai Statkievich, Mikalai Autukhovich, Ales Bialiatski, Igar Alinievich, Aliaksandar Frantskievich, Mikalai Dziadok, Eduard Lobau, Yaugen Vaskovich, Artsiom Prakapenka, Aliaksandar Mauchanau, Andrei Gaidukou and Paval Siavieryniets. These people fight for our shared values. I believe that the world is not doing enough to help their release.

When I say that Belarus is a part of Europe, I mean that the dictator is, too, in Europe. And he is rather active here, in the Euro-Atlantic community. Very often he operates effectively in the European context, for example, blackmailing our neighbors, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, with the agreement on border traffick, and demanding political concessions. The world condemns the notorious law that prohibits Americans to adopt Russian children, but few know that Lukashenka blackmails Italy with a similar prohibition.

People from the “black list” have recently started to travel to Europe. There is a lobby in Europe that is ready to serve Lukashenka, to act as his PR-agents. For example, this is what happened with Bell Pottinger Group from the U.K., and most recently with the Jamestown Foundation that had sent so-called analysts to Belarus to publish favorable articles about Lukashenka.

Today the free world’s fundamental values are under attack. Unfortunately, dictators’ cooperation proves to be very effective. Sometimes they are even more effective than the democratic world. This is what the democratic opposition is constantly speaking about, and it should be taken into consideration. For example, the Syrians that live in England appeal the Parliament of the UK not asking to discuss Syria – they demanded to increase pressure on Lukashenka who helps the regimes of Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Dictators always help each other.

The present situation in Belarus is probably the most difficult, but Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community have enough experience to make necessary conclusions and develop a strategy that doesn’t involve appeasing the dictator. Recently renowned German politician Uta Zapf said a very important thing. She is well-known in Belarus. During the last 15 years she has headed the Ad Hoc group on Belarus of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. She is known for trying to use every opportunity to establish a dialogue with the powers. She was instrumental to legitimize Lukashenka’s so-called “parliament” and to exclude the legitimate Superior Council dismissed by the dictator from the PA OSCE. And so she said that she failed. This is an unusual but brave thing to say.

When asked how she could describe Lukashenka, Uta Zapf said that he is a criminal. You cannopt be diplomatic with a criminal.

We must remember that, and we must protect our European values. We must be more decisive.

Today we need determined actions to release the political prisoners in Belarus. Instead, we are offered some measures to once again establish a contact between the dictator and the Europeans. This is a mistake because political prisoners are being killed in jails. I was released when sanctions were imposed. I said that I had little hope to be released. But when the sanctions were imposed, my friend Dzmitry Bandarenka and I were free. No new sanctions followed, and the political prisoners, including former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkievich and famous human rights activist Ales Bialiatski are still in jail. Our priority is the release of the political prisoners.

Secondly, the dictator’s regime should not get any help. Try to help the Belarusian democrats and independent media instead. Try to help the civil society. Try to help families of the victims of repressions. We need this kind of help.

It is time for the Europeans to be bold. Take a unilateral decision on free-of-charge visas for Belarusians, it would change the situation.

I have said previously that the situation of Belarus is complex, but I remain an optimist. And do you know why? In jail and after release I have been feeling an unprecedented solidarity from the entire world: from Europe, the U.S., and, of course, from Belarus itself. And this support and solidarity that came from common people and from the civil society were enough to make me an optimist.

I have a material proof of this solidarity. The impossible became possible. In jail I got a letter from a great European. I was not supposed to get it. In the letter, he expressed his support to me personally, to the democratic movement and human rights in Belarus. It was a miracle that the letter reached me. Afterwards the letter was with me wherever I went. You can recognize the signature. This is a letter from, as I have already said, a great European, Vaclav Havel. On the letter there is a stamp of the prison censor.

For me, it was not just a token or a symbol. This is a commitment of the consciousness of Europe to the democracy in Belarus. European Belarus.

Photo and video - The German Marshall Fund of the United States