The EU Urges Minsk to Immediately Release Viktar Babariko and His Son

Brussels keeps a close eye on the situation in Belarus.

The European Union urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately release presidential candidate Viktar Babariko and his son and ensure real competitive conditions in the election campaign. This was stated in a statement issued by a representative of the EU foreign policy service on Friday, reports Interfax.

"The EU urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately release Viktar Babariko and his son Edward from a pre-trial detention center and ensure full respect for the rule of law, including the right to fair and transparent investigation and the right to a lawyer," reads the statement.

The main opponent of dictator Lukashenka was detained on the morning of June 18. Together with his son Edward Babariko, he was on his way to the CEC to hand over the collected signatures. About half a million Belarusians have signed for the nomination of Viktar Babariko as a presidential candidate.

Independent experts and human rights defenders believe that criminal prosecution of Viktar Babariko is entirely political.