US Department of State: Existence of political prisoners in Belarus is barrier to cooperation with Belarus

The United States demands the release of all political prisoners in Belarus.

Thomas O. Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the United States, said it to journalists in Minsk on September 10, BelaPAN reports.

According to him, the question of political prisoners was raised during a meeting between the US inter-agency delegation and the Belarusian MFA on September 9. The issue of political prisoners remains a barrier to cooperation between Washington and Minsk, he said.

Thomas Melia emhasised the stance of the United States did not change. The US has always called to release all political prisoners in Belarus, he said adding that the delegation met with relatives of political prisoners and assured them that the issue [of political prisoners] remains a priority.

Answering the question what representatives of the Belarusian MFA said on the issue, Thomas Melia said they continued calling them “so called political prisoners” and their position remained unchanged for the last years. Yesterday's statement by the MFA [on results of the meeting] reflected the divergence of views on the issue, he noted.

The MFA's press release following the meeting did not mention that the parties discussed the problem of political prisoners in Belarus. Aliaksandr Huryanau, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Belarus, met with the US inter-agency delegation that visited Minsk on September 8—11.

The delegation includes Paige Alexander, Assistant Administrator of Agency for International Development (USAID); Thomas Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary from Department of State; Evelyn Farkas, Deputy Assistant Secretary from Department of Defense; US Charge d' Affaires in Belarus Scott Rauland; and representatives of the regional office of the US Agency for International Development and the United States Embassy in Minsk.

Representatives of the Belarusian opposition met with the delegation on September 9. Anatol Liabedzka, the leader of the United Civil Party, said after the two-hour meeting that the US inter-agency delegation monitored the situation in Belarus, but “dealing with the Americans will be more difficult for the authorities than with the Europeans”.

The US inter-agency delegation was expected to meet with officials of Belarusian Ministries of Defense, Economy and Education.