Pavel Seviarynets: First political prisoners and fair elections, then dialogue

The release of political prisoners should remain the first condition for normalisation of Minsk-Brussels relations.

Pavel Seviarynets, a political prisoner and co-head of the organising committee to found the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, talked to charter97.org about Aliaksandr Milinkevich's call on the EU to lift sanctions.

“Belarusians must raise a question of political prisoners. Their release must be the first conditions. 'One for all, all for one' is the foundation of solidarity. Victories are impossible without solidarity. The politicians,who went through prisons, for example,Andrei Sannikov, understand it.

The regime uses contradictions existing among Europeans and does only the things it finds profitable. There's no sense in expecting the regime to have a dialogue. It will be a deception attempt. First the political prisoners must be released, then pressure will be exerted on the regime to carry out fair elections.

I think that the Belarusian problem must be solved not in Brussels, but in Belarus. This is the main thing. Those making such statements should more work in their country,” Pavel Seviarynets said.

The conference titled “The Dialogue on Modernisation with Belarusian Society” was held in Brussels yesterday. Aliaksandr Milinkevich, the leader of the Movement For Freedom, supported the dialogue between the EU and the regime, because, as he thinks, it “will distract Belarus from Russia”. The politician said the liberalisation of 2009-2010 was successful and that “the Russian secret services were involved” in the provocations during the post-election protests on December 19, 2010. Milinkevich called on the EU to lift sanctions.