Europe continues to tolerate criminal dictator

Irina Bogdanova, Natalia Kolyada and Irina Krasovskaya wrote an open letter to President Valdis Zatlers.

Below is the full text of the letter:

Dear Mr. President,

Two months ago we met at the Brussels Forum. The two months that followed our meeting have been extremely difficult for Belarus, and for us personally, as we watched democracy be put on trial in our country. All the main democratic leaders and activists, who dared to stand up for their rights on the 19th of December have been handcuffed, caged, dragged through court, and sentenced to pay for crimes they did not commit. Innocent and decent people have been imprisoned whilst criminals are left to rule the country.

On Monday the 23rd May we watched in horror as Europe again, failed to act. Monday, the 23rd of May was the day that Belarusian people lost faith in the European Union (EU). Lukashenka stated that he was “very pleased” with the result, he said that “Europe has started to understand Belarus” and that this is the reason they didn’t implement economic sanctions. Is this really the message Europe intended to send to a ruthless dictator?

We don’t understand what it will take for Europe to act, and come to the aid of the people of Belarus. When we met in March you assured us that we had your full support and understanding, we feel we have been misled.

For the last few months have we lived in a nightmare. Going to bed and waking up with one constant thought – are our loved ones and our friends still alive. After Andrei Sannikov spoke of the torture he endured and the threats made to the lives of his wife and 4 year old son, he was transferred to another prison, but his relatives were not told which one. Two days went by while his wife and Mother frantically searched for him. We thought this, cold and calculated intimidation technique, would spur the world into action.

Dmitriy Bondarenko, another political prisoner, needs urgent surgery on his spine. His leg is already partially paralysed. If this surgery is not performed immediately he will end up in a wheelchair. His requests for proper medical treatment so far have been ignored.

Nikolai Statkevich has been sentenced to 6 years in high security prison. He has said that he is ready to sacrifice his life and doesn’t want Europe “to buy” his freedom from Lukashenko. He wants free and fair elections that are not overcast by the shadow of the tyrant.

Dmitri Uss was sentenced to 5 and a half years in prison for being a man of honor, he stood by his friend, refusing to betray him, or his country.

It would take too long to tell you of all the courageous young people who will serve sentences between 3 and 4 years in prison only because they exercised their civil rights, and asked for free and fair elections in Belarus. It breaks our hearts thinking of those whose mothers died before their time because their hearts couldn’t bear pain of their sons imprisonment anymore, or the children that are used as “hostages” to blackmail their parents. Doesn’t this remind you of Stalin’s time in Latvia?

Lost shoes, scarves and hats on the snow covered with blood of innocent people on the 19th of December 2010... Brutal force applied by riot police against peaceful civilians... Torture taking place behind the KGB walls....

We spoke of all these atrocities at the Brussels Forum and thought it would be enough for EU politicians to start taking the situation in Belarus seriously, and act. It appears that it was not. Surely following the events of the last two weeks it is finally time to act? Is it necessary to wait for more deaths before something is done? Will we see the history of Rwanda repeated, innocent people slaughtered while the world stands by, maybe you would like Belarus to see events like those that marred Libya’s recent history before you start to take steps to deal with this dictator.

Let us remind you that in Belarus opponents of the regime and journalists of the free press have been disappeared and killed over the last 11 years. Therefore, those, who are in jail today, did everything in their power to prevent mass-murders of innocent people on the Square.

We do understand that the interests of your own country come first. Having warm houses and petrol in your cars is important and we understand that your country suffered greatly in the economic crisis alongside Greece and Iceland. Sadly, it seems that between these domestic problems there is no room left for moral issues and human rights. But shouldn't protecting those humanitarian principles on which the EU was formed remain central to its work? If economic sanctions are imposed on Belarus it will bring the Lukashenka regime to a just end and the economy of Belarus can begin to recover. This will mean opportunities to develop Latvian business interests in Belarus. Latvia will profit greatly from helping a democratic Belarus to emerge.

We hope that the Latvian people who have just rid themselves of a Communist’s Dictatorship will understand, from firsthand experience, what it is like to live under these conditions and the importance of the freedom that we seek. We hope they will not allow this “shifting of morality”, as Sir Tom Stoppard said in his speech to the Brussels Forum, and will recognise our common humanity and take a firm stand in support of our universal human rights.

Yours sincerely,

Irina Bogdanova, Director of Free Belarus Now campaign

Natalia Kaliada, Founding Director of Belarus Free Theatre

Irina Krasovskaya, President of We Remember Foundation