Human rights activists: Sanctions could be lifted only after political prisoners’ release
1- 5.10.2009, 15:11
Public leaders have handed in a collective address to the Embassy of the Czech Republic concerning the recent statement by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.
In his statement human rights activists note that only after fulfilment of a number of conditions sanctions against Belarusian authorities could be lifted. It is immediate release of political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka and Artsyom Dubski, and investigation of politically motivated abductions.
The address was passed by a businessman Yury Lyavonau, who was released recently, human rights activist Ihar Lednik and Katsyaryna Sadouskaya.
That was the answer of Belarusian human rights activists to Italian Foreign minister Franco Frattini, who during his recent visit to Minsk stated that Italy supports full lifting visa sanctions against Belarusian officials, and would try to unite countries that would support this initiative.
“Mr Frattini calls his initiative “supporting efforts of Belarus it makes for rapprochement with Europe”. What are the efforts of Belarus? Belarus despite of its commitments to respect human rights pronounced in May in the framework of Prague declaration of the Eastern partnership, delivered political verdicts to Maxim Dashuk and Artsyom Dubski in summer? Amnesty International had recognized them prisoners of conscience in the Case of Fourteen. Belarus manipulates opinion of Europe with the help of designer expert examinations in the case of businessman Autukhovich? Does this Belarus need support?
On the next day after the sanctions’ lifting Europe will receive a new wave of persecution of Belarusian businessmen and human rights activists. And then participation in the Eastern Partnership will be doomed completely. I hope that leadership of other countries of the European Union, unlike Italy, would fully recognize dangerous consequences of such a motion, and would ignore the initiative of uniting offered by Frattini,” Ihar Lednik said.
On October 13, 2008 the EU Council at the level of Foreign Ministers adopted a decision in Luxemburg to suspend the ban on entering the European Union countries for Alyaksandr Lukashenka and 35 Belarusian officials. The decision to freeze bank accounts of 41 Belarusian officials remains in force. On March 16, 2009 the decision to freeze the sanctions was extended for 9 months.
The sanctions are imposed against 5 officials: the chair of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna, former Secretary of the Security Council Viktar Sheiman, former interior minister Uladzimir Navumau, commander of special task squad of the internal troops Dzmitry Paulichenka, and former interior minister Yury Sivakou, suspected by the international community of involvement to forceful disappearances of famous Belarusian opposition figures Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski, Yury Zakharanka, and journalist Dzmitry Zavadski. Head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna, responsible for “election” rigging, is also on the list of restricted to travel.
