Milinkevich against sanctions

Alyaksandr Milinkevich, leader of the “For Freedom” movement, Paval Sevyarynets, co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Party, and Syarhei Lukanin, coordinator of the campaign for defending the rights of freedom of speech, had a press conference on 27 May, after the session of the European Parliament, organised the EP delegation for relations with Belarus.

The press conference was opened by MEP Jacek Protasiewicz, who introduced the Belarusian delegation, invited to Brussels for discussion of freedom of speech in Belarus. Mr Protasiewicz reminded the people present about a special resolution on arrests of political opponents in Belarus, adopted by the European Parliament on 22 May, which notes that the situation with human rights in Belarus has worsened. Some of 18 sections of the EP resolution were dedicated to a problem of the Law on Religions, acting in Belarus since 2000, which stay in contradiction with fundamental human rights of freedom of speech, the site milinkevich.org reports.

A question to Mr Milinkevich. If the elections this autumn are not democratic that it more like to happen, what reaction of the international community would you like to see? Do you stand for strict economic sanctions on Belarus?

Alyaksandr Milinkevich:

The elections are to take place this autumn, but they won’t be the real elections, as #this word can be defined in the West. However, the Belarusian democratic forces are going to run in this campaign, because we think it is an opportunity to meet with people, bring information to them, speak about acute problems of ht society. So, the authorities have totally rigged the elections over last years, but this year we hope we can make the authorities change the practical use of law by, for example, including opposition figures into electoral commissions, permit access to mass media for oppositionists, stop repressions. It seems this year we can hope that we will have more chances than before. Because the authorities have faced a collapse of the economy, which is noncompetitive and unreformed. The authorities are eager to gain economic aid from the West, from the EU first of all. So the West should put certain conditions: the Belarusian regime should start reforming of the electoral system, give freedom for media in exchange to investments and, maybe, loans.

What concerns sanctions, personally I stand against tight economic sanctions, because the independence of Belarus can be destroyed together with the regime. The collapse of economy creates a risk Belarus can be annexed by Russia.