Council of Europe’s delegation not interested by repressed youth

The delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe refused to meet with the “Young Front” activists.

As we have informed, on February 14 a “Young Front” rally dedicated to St. Valentine’s Day was brutally disbanded in Minsk. Riot policemen with truncheons were sent against the protesters. Many participants of the rally including “Yong Front” leaders Zmitser Dashkevich, Mikalay Dzemidzenka and Pavel Kuryanovich were beaten up. Besides, an activist of the organisation Artsyom Dubski, convicted in the well-known Process of Fourteen, was arrested. Dubski was arrested in a train, when he was going to travel from Belarus to Ukraine. At the moment he stays in the remand prison of Babrujsk. He is charged with violations of rules of serving punishment (restriction of freedom without being sent to a special facility).

The leader of the “young Front” organisation Zmitser Dashkevich has commented this gesture of the PACE deputies in the following way:

“There is a saying which could be used when speaking about today’s attitude of Europe towards Belarus: “I am happy to be misled”. We could see for ourselves the reality of Belarusian “liberalisation” by the example of the brutal battery at the peaceful rally on St. Valentine’s Day, of home searches and arrests of businessmen’s leaders Mikalay Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, Uladzimir Asipenka, and arrest of our activist Atsyom Dubski. While different kinds of crackdown on Belarusian youth is taking place, PACE officials haven’t even invited us for a meeting”>

According to Zmitser Dashkevich, Europe should state its position towards Lukashenka:

“Europe should make clear what they want: a dialogue with the dictator by all manner of means, or support of democratic and moral values in Belarus. If they need the first variant, we would take that into account. You should simply spell out your wish. But there is an impression that Europe wants the both things. But it is impossible. No constructive changes are taking place in Belarus. And when Lukashenka would see that he won’t have any benefits from relations with Europe, the situation could end by even more harsh repressions in Belarus”.