Milinkevich: “I haven’t said that they are political prisoners… Most probably they are political prisoners… I should wait for the court”

The press-service of “For Freedom” movement has sent a letter to the Charter’97 website.

We offer the full text of the letter to our readers:

“As long as the words that he hadn’t said have been ascribed to Milinkevich (“Milinkevich… does not think there are political prisoners in Belarus”), we ask to publish verbatim record of the answer concerning the international procedure of defence of political prisoners ONCE AGAIN.

The quote of Alyaksandr Milinkevich’s answer at the press-conference of “For Freedom” movement on March 25:

Alyaksandr Papko:

- Alyaksandr, please say what are you going to do with political prisoners? There are political prisoners today. How “For Freedom” movement is going to react to this situation when political prisoners are almost unseen in the media space?

Alyaksandr Milinkevich:

- It is very important for you and us, I think, to be absolutely consistent, honest and principled, as you are forming the public opinion, and people abroad pay attention to your words, as well as to us too. When Autukhovich and his friends were arrested, I stated at a press-conference immediately that I had a feeling it was a politically motivated case. But I didn’t say they are political prisoners. I believe that people could be considered 100% political prisoners firstly after a court, and secondly, if our human rights defenders (we haven’t gathered them and asked them) would say, the majority of them, or preferably all of them, - that these are political prisoners. that’s because they are experts, not politicians. Besides, large international organisations should say: yes, these are really political prisoners, as it was with Amnesty International, when people in our country had been put to prisons. So, most likely it is true, it’s my position, but we should wait for these statements and we should work for them to be made quicker. And I think it is very important: we should always base ourselves upon concrete facts. They are most likely political prisoners.

Zmitser Pankavets:

- But you have doubts, don’t you?

Alyaksandr Milinkevich:

- I should wait for the court. Everything is usually seen at the court. One thing is to punish by a fine a person who blocks a street. I do not know whether he would be a political prisoner. He might be persecuted on political grounds. And the different matter is when a person is punished by a few years of imprisonment for blocking a street. Many things become clear during the court. I think we should base ourselves upon facts.

We are bringing to your notice that a copy of this letter has been sent to other mass media. In the future we would be grateful for more responsible covering of the activities of “For Freedom” movement and its leader.

With respect,

Press-service of “For Freedom” movement”

NOTE BY CHARTER’97 WEBSITE: We would like to offer our readers and colleagues from “For Freedom” movement to have another look at the article placed at the website on March 26.

Milinkevich thinks opposition is on the political fringe, and does not think there are political prisoners in Belarus

The leader of “For Freedom” movement has made several controversial statements.

On March 25 at a press-conference in Minsk Alyaksandr Milinkevich stated that the Belarusian opposition does not take part in the talks of the official Minsk and representatives of European structures because of their being on the political fringe, Interfax informed.

“There were many discussions why the Belarusian opposition is not taking part in the talks between the Belarusian regime and the West. They haven’t deserved that, as they have become weak outcasts,” the politician said.

“Our influence on the society has dwindled. We should not solve the problem with the European Union, the problem of not being invited and put at some table, but the problem of our influence on the Belarusian society,” Milinkevich believes.

In his turn the deputy chairman of the public organisation “For Freedom” Viktar Karnienka noted that “at the moment the situation is that the Belarusian opposition does not have and most likely won’t have monopoly for relations with the West”.

“But we should do everything in order to solve the existing problem and become a participant of the dialogue,” he underlined.

Besides, Alyaksandr Milinkevich stated that he does not believe that there are political prisoners in Belarus.

Answering the question about political prisoners, the chairman of the public association said: “I adhere t the position that a person could be called a political prisoner after a court, when human rights watchdogs and international organisations would say he is a political prisoner”.

We haven’t put any words into Milinkevich’s mouth. We are convinced that it follows from the article by Interfax and from the verbatim record sent by “For Freedom” press-service to us, that Alyaksandr Milinkevich would be able to find his position on whether political pismires exist in Belarus, only after a Lukashenka-style trial over them. To our mind, it means that AT PRESENT LUKASHENKA DOES NOT THINK THERE ARE POLITICAL PRIOSNERS IN BELARUS.

Dear readers of Charter’97 website, you can make you own conclusions about that.