Aliaksandr Dabravolski: Makei must not be allowed to EU

The issue of lifting the sanctions may only be considered if the steps towards democracy and human rights are obvious.

This is how a member of the political council of the United Civic Party (UCP) Aliaksandr Dabravolski commented for the charter97.org web-site on the possible lifting of the EU’s visa sanctions towards Uladzimir Makei.

“I think it is being done out of despair. No measures of the European Union affect the regime of Lukashenka. Uta Zapf recently told about that. The thing is the inconsistency of the EU’s policy. The position as to the release of the political prisoners used to be firm before. They spoke about the release and complete exoneration, and now they speak only about the former”, - the politician noted.

He also emphasized that the Belarusian leadership should be the first to make a step towards the west.

“It is necessary for the steps towards human rights and democracy to be obvious in our country. Since it was the uncivilized behavior of the Belarusian authorities that led to the introduction of the sanctions. Only then the issue of lifting the visa sanctions against Belarusian officials may be considered.

The European Union must aim to achieve precisely the release and exoneration of the political prisoners. At the same time it is necessary to remember that the people, who are absolutely innocent, do not have to write pleas of pardon in the name of Lukashenka, accepting the guilt and regretting of what they did not commit. In this sense the position of the EU must stay firm”, - Aliaksandr Dabravolski concluded.

We would remind that the European Union may lift the visa sanctions on the head of the Belarusian MFA.

A deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Erzy Pomianowski said about that.

Uladzimir Makei is included in the list of more than 200 Belarusian officials and oligarchs against which EU’s sanctions have been introduced for being involved in the repressions against Belarusian opposition and civil society.