Paleckis clarifies: Wording is unfortunate and will be fixed

The European Parliament's Rapporteur has to offer excuses for his recommendations on the situation in Belarus.

Justas Palecskis answered questions of Radio Radio's listeners.

Maryna Adamovich, the wife of former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich, who was thrown into prison, asked if the MEP really thought the human rights situation in Belarus had improved.

Justas Paleckis answered:

“Yes, I agree that the wording was unfortunate and inaccurate, but it happened because I had to shorten a long text. There were data on the grounds of Viasna's observations showing that the number of repressions decreased 3.5-fold, no death verdicts were delivered, though executions took place. These data allowed to conclude that it was a decrease [in repression]. Particular facts were shortened. I agree that the wording about a discernible improvement was unfortunate. Of course, my colleagues and I will correct it.”

Justas Paleckis said he had used “many sources” during the preparation of the report and talked to “hundreds of people – Belarusians, Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Germans (and made a special trip to Berlin). He said the main thing was four days he had spent in Minsk. According to him, meetings in the Belarusian capital were organised by the EU Delegation, the Embassy of Lithuania and the MEP's office.

The EP's Rapporteur on Belarus said about a “discernible improvement” of the human rights situation in Belarus in 2012 and a positive impact of the European Dialogue on Modernisation on the development of civil society. He proposed to increase contacts with Belarusian officials, prepare a strategic “roadmap” to enhance a dialogue with official Minsk, including interparliamentary relations and suspend key officials from the EU visa ban list to broaden diplomatic communication channels.

Paleckis's report was published on the website of the European Parliament.