Leonid Gozman: Lukashenka is usurper and he must go on trial

Neither Russia nor anyone in the world should support the barbarian criminal regime in Belarus.

“I visited Belarus on December 19, when riot policemen disbanded unarmed people. Lukashenka has been staying in power in Belarus for 17 years; it’s a barbarian, criminal regime, which does not simply violate rights of its citizens and implements mass crackdown. It’s a regime which murders political opponents. The Belarusian dictator has brought the country into an absolute deadlock, into a total economic catastrophe.

However, I think we should help Belarus. It is a wonderful country with a deep culture which is underappreciated by us, its people are terrific. We should help Belarus, but in no case we should help the Belarusian dictator, who is giving Belarus a bad time, who is destroying Belarus. I think we must help the Belarusian nation to get rid of Lukashenka’s dictatorship,” said the co-chairman of a political party “Right Cause” (Russia) Leonid Gozman, speaking on air of “Echo of Moscow” radio station.

The politician noted that “words that there is alternative to Lukashenka allegedly, are an insult to the Belarusian nation.”

“One of the presidential candidates, who had been sentenced to 5 years in a prison with reinforced regime, Andrei Sannikov, is a former deputy Foreign Minister. He is a professional, competent person, he is a fulfilled and rather charismatic person, by the way. Poet Nyaklyaeu, whose head was smashed, he is a very decent person. There were well-known economists, a former rector of a Belarusian university among the presidential candidates in Belarus,” Gozman reminded.

At the same time, Leonid Gozman believes “Lukashenka, Turkmenbashi and others” are criminals, who must go on trial, and they will be tried.”

“Lukashenka is not a reliable ally for us. In general, it is extremely dangerous to deal with an unpredictable and uncontrollable person. We are interested in having stable democratic states as our neighbours, with which we would be able to find understanding, and with which relations would not change in case the mood of the leader changes suddenly.

It happened many times in history of humanity, when a bankrupt dictator asks for help, threatens that in case no help given, he would become resentful and go to the other side of the barricade, -- such things happened many times. In such a case politically binding loans are given. That is, Lukashenka must hold a normal election. I would like to remind that the election at which I was present on December 19, this election has not been recognized by anyone in the world except us. Maybe some country like Burundi has recognized it, but neither Europe nor the US has recognized it.

Judging by all facts I have, Lukashenka had not won in the first round. He had about 30%, he is an usurper, not a president. Lukashenka will lose in a fair election. That is why he had sent troops against people. That was the reason,” the co-chairman of the Right Cause party is convinced.