MEP Bronis Rope: Blocking of Charter'97 website raises serious concerns at the European institutions

Right to information shall not be compromised.

Bronis Rope, memeber of the European Parliament from Lithuania, expressed his solidarity with Charter97.org.

Long-term mayor of Ignalina district and former presidential candidate in 2014 elections in Lithuania supported the right to information in Belarus. Mr. Rope stated the following.

"Belarus is an important neighbour of Lithuania. We are interested in development of good neighbouring relations, both bilateral ones, as well as through European Neighbourhood instrument. And I want to believe that Belarusian side does so as well. Myself, I was born and lived all my life almost on the border with Belarus - and I want this border to be uniting, not separating one; a border between two economically strong and viable democracies.

The thaw in European - Belarusian relations, which began several years ago, brought hope that things were moving the right direction. Unfortunately, further to menacing Europe with the threat of new Chernobyl, posed by the nuclear power plant currently constructed in Ostrovets, current Belarusian authorities seem also to be turning against their own citizen - by limiting their access to free and uncensored information.

Right to information and freedom of expression are two fundamental rights, and they shall not be compromised in contemporary society. Therefore the blockade of Charter97.org raises serious concerns also here, at the European institutions", says MEP's statement.