Ambassadors of EU countries call upon release of Belarusian political prisoners

Heads of diplomatic missions of EU countries accredited in Belarus call upon release of “Belarusian political prisoners detained for civic activities”. It has been stated in a press-release distributed by the Embassy of Slovak Republic in Minsk with serves as a local EU presidency.

On November 6 Ambassadors of the EU Countries met with the leader of the For Freedom movement organizing committee Alyaksandr Milinkevich. As noted in the press-release of the Slovak Embassy, “the politician has attracted attention of diplomats by the growing problems of political prisoners in Belarus”. In particular, he expressed concern over the closed-door trial over the leader of the unregistered “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich, and the state of health of the oppositionist Andrei Klimau.

“The local presidency of the EU expressed deep concern of European diplomats in Minsk about those citizens of Belarus who according to experts on human rights are political prisoners,” the report underlines.

Ambassadors of European countries have called upon the regime in Belarus “to respect human rights and civil rights of Belarusian citizens”, to stop “repressive actions against the civil society”. “The EU local presidency believes that progress in this sphere would advance broad cooperation with European partners,” the press-released reads.

However the Slovak Embassy notes that “some positive steps of the Belarusian side which represented by respect for the right of assembly during the Social March on November 4, 2007 following the example of the European March”. According to the diplomats, this approach is in line with the EU intentions to start a dialogue and cooperation with Belarus in such spheres as energy or ecology, “under the condition of continuing the general constructive political line of Belarus”.