Östgruppen demands resignation of EU delegation head to Belarus

The human rights organisation from Sweden believes that activities of Maira Mora violate the basic principles and policy of the EU.

charter97.org was informed about that by Östgruppen.

“Instead of clearly expressing the official line of the EU in support of democracy and human rights in Belarus, many times Maira Mora acted in such a way that it rather served interests of the illegitimate regime of Lukashenka. That is why she has exhausted her credit of trust as the representative of the EU,” a representative of Östgruppen Martin Uggla said.

Maira Mora has disappointed the democratic forces of Belarus by her public addresses several times. For example, last autumn she took part in a talk show “Matter of Principle” at a state-run TV channel, urging all Belarusians to support president Lukashenka.

One of these days More has taken part in the same talk show and she praised Lukashenka for his ability “to communicate with the nation.” At the same time, she hadn’t articulated the official demands of the EU to the Belarusian regime to release all political prisoners, despite of the fact that she was directly asked what the obstacles to the cooperation between the EU and Belarus exist.

On the same day the trial over the most important political prisoner in the country, the former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich, was held. Human rights activists and the EU representative were not allowed to attend the hearings, where the politician was sentenced to harsher conditions of serving the sentence until the end of the term.

During Mora’s term of tenure the reputation of the EU Delegation to Minsk among Belarusian democratic forces considerably worsened. An obvious disinclination of the Delegation to take part in the contexts related to democracy and human rights is felt.

Östgruppen is concerned by these developments. That is why the organisation urges the government of Sweden to raise this question in the EU.

“Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström earlier said that the policy of Sweden and the EU towards Belarus should take a clear stand in support of democracy and human rights. This aspiration should concern the EU Delegation to Belarus as well,” Martin Uggla said.