Pavel Seviarynets: Surikov shows real face of Kremlin

Russian authorities don't protect democracy in Russia and don't plan to do it in Belarus.

Political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets spoke to charter97.org about the Russian ambassador's statement about absence of political prisoners in Belarus.

“The Russian ambassador puts on a mask of a democracy advocate and says there are political prisoners in Belarus when Kremlin wants to press on Lukashenka, but he takes it off when they want to be friends with the dictator and trade with him. It is just political hypocrisy usual for authoritarian and post-Soviet regimes, for Belarus and Russia,” the politician thinks.

He underlines that Putin doesn't protect democracy in his country and can't advocate for democracy in Belarus.

“As for the opinion that Russia doesn't mind Belarus's relations with the European Union, why do they need a Russian airbase near Baranavichy? Why do they need fighter jets? This is targeted against the West. In general, the support of the Lukashenka regime and attempts to manipulate the Belarusian policy with the help of cheap gas and oil are the anti-European policy,” the political prisoner said.

He is confident that today's statement by the Russian ambassador is an element of bargaining.

“If you don't want us to speak about political prisoners, okay, we agree, but give us your defence industry, MAZ, Belaruskali, give us entire Belarus. That will be the end. Give the bear a finger and he'll take the whole arm. Lukashenka, with his strong instinct of self-preservation, cannot but feel that Beltransgas is only the beginning. They are going to eat everything,” Pavel Seviarynets said.

Alexander Surikov, the Russian ambassador to Belarus, spoke about several important issues in the bilateral relations at today's press conference.

He said Russia is not concerned about Belarus's attempts to restore relations with the EU member states.

He stressed that Russia didn't support the EU's demands to release political prisoners and said there were no political prisoners – “these people were convicted for their crimes”.