Miklós Haraszti: We saw this soap opera many times

The “election” in Belarus cannot be by definition free and fair.

A hearing on Belarus was held in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.

It was attended by Gunnar Wiegand, the Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE in the European External Action Service (EEAS), and UN Special Rapporteur Miklós Haraszti. Valiantsin Stefanovich, the deputy head of Viasna human rights centre, also took part in the hearing, Radio Svaboda reports.

Gunnar Wiegand, the EEAS Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE, noted that though the main requirement of the EU – the release of political prisoners – was fulfilled, it doesn’t mean that “the difficult state of democracy and human rights has been fixed overnight”. No systemic changes took place in this direction, Gunnar Wiegand emphasised, reminding the audience that “civil and political rights of former political prisoners have not been reinstated, and their release was made to prevent some opposition leaders from running in this year's elections”.

Nevertheless, the existence of political prisoners was one of the main reasons for imposing sanctions on Belarus, Gunnar Wiegand said.

“The exact EU response to the release of political prisoners is still being discussed in the Council, but it is certain that a tangible message of recognition of this important step will be decided soon. For the first time since the end of 2010 it is possible to imagine more constructive relations between the EU and Belarus. We would not like to be criticised for missing this window of opportunity,” the European politician emphasised.

Gunnar Wiegand once more stressed that Belarus was the only country in Europe that applies the death penalty.

UN Special Rapporteur Miklós Haraszti called not to be happy about illusions of liberalisation in Belarus.

“What we see is episode five of an ongoing soap opera. We have seen five times the same drama and the same relief before elections from the same president. Every time there was a release before elections, and nothing has changed after them. So I believe it is cautious to wait at least for the elections with a major positive step towards the president of the country before the elections where he is an incumbent competitor.”

The UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus emphasised that the outcome of the presidential election was already known due to the unchanged laws, the unchanged situation of human rights, in particular the unchanged situation of electoral rights. The elections “cannot be by definition free and fair, as none of the elections since president Lukashenka is in power have been”, according to him.

“You can lift some sanctions, if the permission system is eased, giving a little modicum to civil society to be competitive and to be free. Or take the last year's, last December's cruel media law that practically put the whole internet under the government’s control, every internet outlet, be it just a website or be it just a comment. Many other stricter rules were imposed while these wonderful heroic civil society and political prisoners were waiting in prison to be released before the elections, clearly with electoral aims,” he said.

“My point is: a token, a helping hand in the situation that is thought to be geopolitically important is an understandable gesture of diplomatic course, but from human rights point of view I believe it needs to be coupled with more concessions, at least promises of concessions, in which case promises of relief and relieving sanctions could also be paid with that promise,” Miklós Haraszti added.