European youth condemned dictatorship in Belarus (Photo)

Resolution condemning the regime on Belarus was adopted in Porto (Portugal) at the conference of the Youth of the European People’s Party, the biggest party in the European Parliament.

The resolution condemns violation of human rights in Belarus, persecution of youth organisations, crackdown of the peaceful rally on 25 March, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic, arrests of activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” at the official demonstration on 1 May, sentences to imprisonment to participants of the protests action of entrepreneurs, held in Minsk in January-February 2008. The signatories of the resolution called on the European Parliament to start cooperation with the Belarusian government only if the Lukashenka’s regime fulfils 12 conditions of the European Union.

Moreover, the resolution says actions near the Belarusian embassies in sign of solidarity with the Belarusian people calling on the Belarusian authorities to hold free elections will take place all over Europe on 28 September, on the day of the parliamentary “elections.”

The resolution was carried unanimously. The document was signed by youth organisations of Christian democratic parties of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Ukraine.

Artur Finkevich, deputy head of the Young Front organisation, represented Belarus on the conference.

“Speaking on the congress, I told about the situation in Belarus, repressions against the opposition, political prisoners, about me and other activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus,” who had been sentenced in absentia for participation in a peaceful demonstration on the Day of Europe. I told about suppression of rights and freedoms in our country – freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association. I also told about the civil campaign “European Belarus” and the Young Front, one of its participants. More than 50 per cent of the Belarusian citizens stand for Belarus’ joining the European Union, we hold actions, inform people about the EU, collect votes for support of eurointegration of Belarus. I said that the Belarusian problem was the problem of the European Union, because the EU would never be full without Belarus,” Artur Finkevich told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center.

The Youth Charter on cooperation between the youth organisations of Europe, saying about the necessity of intensification of cooperation of the youth with the European Parliament was adopted.