US State Department Demands Equal Conditions For All Participants Of Electoral Campaign In Belarus

Spokeswoman for the Department of State Morgan Ortagus has made a statement.

The US is concerned over the reports of mass protests and detentions of peaceful activists in Belarus, said US State Department Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus. The text of the statement was published by the US Embassy in Belarus, naviny.by reports.

“We are deeply concerned over the reports of mass protests and detentions of peaceful activists and journalists,” Ortagus said. “We consider it extremely important for the government to ensure equal conditions for everyone who wants to take part in the elections.”

On July 14, the Central Election Commission refused to register Viktar Babaryka and Valer Tsapkala, who were considered the main rivals of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, as presidential candidates. In the evening, mass protests against the decision of the CEC took place in Minsk and other cities of Belarus.

The main rival of dictator Lukashenka in these elections was detained in the morning of June 18 when, together with his son Eduard Babaryka, he was heading to the CEC to hand over the collected signatures. About half a million Belarusians signed up for the nomination of Viktar Babaryka as a presidential candidate.

Independent experts and human rights activists are convinced that the prosecution of Viktar Babaryka is a purely political reprisal.