EUROPE ASSERTS: LUKASHENKA EXECUTES HIS OPPONENTS AND SELLS ARMS TO ROGUE STATES :: Charter'97 :: News

Today the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin has adopted a resolution on Belarus. The majority of the MPs of the OSCE member-states voted for it. The resolution approved by the OSCE Political Committee was passed by the PA OSCE without alterations. The PA OSCE emphatically calls Belarusian authorities “to put an end to its self-imposed isolation, to carry out free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections in such a way that would correspond to the commitments assumed in the framework of this organization a long time ago”. The European parliamentarians express their “disquiet” regarding the allegations that “high-ranking Belarusian officials were apparently involved in the premeditated assassinations of prominent opposition figures”. They are also “concerned with the reports that Belarus provides deadly weapon to terrorists and countries that shelter terrorists”. The text of this resolution differs from the previous ones. For the first time the PA OSCE resolution mentions arms trade and disappearance of the opposition leaders.

The OSCE demand the Belarusian authorities to stop persecution of the independent media, non-state organizations and activists of human rights movement, to “put an end to politically motivated assassinations and arrests, to start a full-value and transparent investigation of the abductions or assassinations of the opposition leaders”. Besides, the OSCE MPs aired their anxiety in relation to the democratic development, human rights respect and priority of law in Belarus. They noted that freedom of expression and press, freedom of meetings and associations were restricted by the regime “severely”.

It is stated in the text of the resolution that the PA OSCE is stricken by the fact that Belarus ignores the OSCE recommendations which conditions, including transparence of the elections, must be followed to carry out free and fair elections.

The PA OSCE insists that the leadership of the country must abide by its international legal and other commitments to the OSCE. In particular, the European MPs call the official Minsk to cooperate with the OSCE and its institutions, including the AMG, and render assistance in following the commitments to this international organization. On proposal of the Latvian MPs a point demanding from the Belarusian authorities “immediately” issue visas for the diplomats of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group for their work in Minsk was included to the resolution.

11 MPs (including Russian representatives) voted against this resolution, 14 MPs abstained from voting. You must remember that the PA OSCE consists of more than 300 parliamentarians. The delegation of the “national assembly” was absent at the sitting.

The full text of the resolution will be published at our site as new information becomes available.

Today the MPs have chosen a new PA OSCE President. This position was taken by Romanian representative Adrian Severin before that. The new PA OSCE President was elected Bruce George from the Great Britain, whom the delegation of the Coordinative Council of oppositional political parties met the day before.