US and EU: Belarusian authorities should release immediately all political prisoners

The US and the EU called on the Belarusian authorities to “release unconditionally and immediately all remaining political prisoners.” As Washington and Brussels think, it is the Belarusian leadership who is responsible for the violating of human rights. The declaration at the bilateral summit held in Tuesday in Brdo, Slovenia.

The US and the European Union also condemn the measures taken by official Minsk towards diplomatic missions in Belarus, says the declaration at the bilateral summit held in Tuesday in Brdo, Slovenia.

In late March the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affaires demanded to cut down US embassy staff in Belarus. The US reduced the mission twofold – up to 17 people. On 2 April Minsk required to leave 7 persons in the embassy staff, but the US didn’t respond to the last demand, RIA Novosti reports.

“We condemn the use of coercive measures taken against diplomatic missions in Belarus,” the US and EU’s declaration notes.

It should be reminded that Alyaksandr Kazulin, former candidate for presidency in Belarus, sentenced to 5 and a half years in 2006 for a mass protest action against rigging presidential elections results, youth activist Andrei Kim and one of entrepreneurs’ leaders Syarhei Parsyukevich, sentenced to 1 ½ and 2 ½ years of imprisonment respectively for participating in a protest action of entrepreneurs on 10 January in Minsk, are still in Belarusian prisons. 12 activists of the democratic movement got different terms of imprisonment and big fines for participating in the same action.