MEP demands to reintroduce sanctions against Makej

A member of European Parliament for Poland Marek Migalski claimed the EU’s policy towards Belarus to be inconsistent.

Exactly in a week, on 22 July, a meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the EU member-states and Eastern Partnership participant countries will take place. It will be devoted to the preparation to the summit in Vilnius in November. It is expected that the head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Uladzimir Makej, the sanctions against whom have been suspended, will take part in the meeting.

A MEP for Poland Marek Migalski addressed the ministers of foreign affairs of the EU member-states and informed that on the position of Belarusian opposition towards the contacts with the regime.

“On 24 June the European Union made a decision to lift visa sanctions from the head of the MFA of Belarus Uladzimir Makej. I would like to inform you that representatives of Belarusian opposition took this European Union’s step negatively. They claim that having a dialogue with the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka without Belarusian authorities’ releasing and fully exonerating political prisoners is a worng and incorrect decision. Stanislau Shushkievich, the first head of independent Belarus, emphasized that the dialogue shows inconsistency on the part of the EU and leads to the consolidation of the dictatorship. Mikalaj Statkievich, the last presidential candidate still remaining in prison, believes that direct contacts between the leaders of democratic countries and Belarusian regime’s officials are betrayal of the ideal of democracy and an attempt to legitimize the dictatorship”, - the politician noted.

He turned attention to the fact that, according to the information from Belarusian and international human rights organizations, the situation keeps worsening in Belarus.

“On 1 July another representative of Belarusian opposition was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison. Over a dozen political prisoners still remain in jails in Belarus, and dozens of other Belarusian citizens are limited in their rights and civil liberties as the result of politically motivated trials in 2011-2012. Belarus is the only country in Europe, which has not abolished death penalty, and 3 death penalty verdicts were passed with the past 1.5 months”, - the MEP highlighted.