Gazeta Wyborcza: Thaw in Belarus ended

The Belarusian authorities created an impression of political thaw and stopped persecuting of oppositionists before the “elections”. But the next day after the “elections”, the Ministry of Internal Affaires said the opposition had “seriously violated public order” on September 28, after closing of polling stations. Polish Gazeta Wyborcza concluded: the “thaw” in Belarus has ended.

The Ministry of Internal Affaires said it would pass the collected by militia materials to a prosecutor’s office for estimation of activity of the Belarusian opposition.

A phrasing “serious violation of public order” means that the authorities are intimidating of the oppositionists who had taken to Minsk streets in a peaceful protest against falsification of the elections. Former investigator Aleh Vouchak said to the newspaper up to six years in prison might be given for this.

The Ministry of Justice also demanded the opposition parties to give written explanations on why their leaders took part in the rally. It means that the authorities turn their attention to Alyaksandr Milinkevich and Alyaksandr Kazulin again, Gazeta Wyborcza notes. Leader of the Belarusian Popular Front Lyavon Barshcheuski confirmed that he had received such a call from the Ministry of Justice but answered that BPF members had right to protest against falsification of elections.

The authorities let understand that pre-electoral thaw has ended and new political prisoners are needed now to have an opportunity to go on trading with Europe, Anatol Lyabedzka says. Oppositionists think, after international observers and journalists leave the country, repressions will begin in Belarus again.

During a meeting between Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Ann-Marie Lizin, head of the OSCE observing mission, the Belarusian ruler protested against recognition the elections as non-democratic and demanded that the West should lift the sanctions, by which it “insulted the people of Belarus”. He also noted that the West couldn’t count on worsening of the relations between Belarus and Russia.

Gazeta Wyborcza published a comment of Russian publicist Leonid Radzihovsky, who thinks a conflict between Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the West will go on until the sanctions are lifted, because relaxation of the regime of Lukashenka would lead to his collapse. Many of his opponents are missing or were murdered, in order for him to preserve his power. Power is life for Lukashenka.