Vaira Vike-Freiberga: "No One Could Feel Secure Under Conditions Of Dictatorship" :: Charter'97 :: News

This statement has been made in the interview to the today’s Austrian newspaper «Die Presse» by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, meaning Belarus and its leadership. As said by the Latvian President, everyone who is trying to criticize the regime of Lukashenka in any way is facing harsh repression. The Belarusian state brings pressure on the civil society or takes control over the mass media.

As Radio Svaboda informs, Vaira Vike-Freiberga is extremely concerned by the sentence to former Belarusian Ambassador to Latvia, Mikhail Marynich, whose case is framed-up, she believes. The real reason for Marynich’s punishment is that he had not exclude his participation in the presidential elections as an opposition candidate, the Latvian president considers.

To the question of the Austrian reporter whether the scenario similar to the Ukrainian one is possible in Belarus, Latvian president answered in the following way:

“It is hard to imagine such changes in the nearest future. However, nobody knows what would happen. Ukraine has demonstrated vividly how spontaneous the civil society could be. Not a single person could feel secure under the conditions of dictatorship. The changes could happen very rapidly”.