Changes unlikely to occur in Belarus soon, Latvian president says :: Charter'97 :: News

Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga expressed skepticism about the possibility of changes in the political situation in Belarus in the near future. “It is difficult to imagine that something will soon change in Belarus,” she said in an interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Presse published by the newspaper on January 26.

However, the Latvian president noted that one should not completely exclude the possibility of changes. “The example of Ukraine shows how civil society may blow up all of a sudden,” she said, adding that this might happen even under a dictatorial regime.

Ms. Vike-Freiberga expressed concern about the harsh sentence imposed on Belarusian opposition politician Mikhail Marinich for allegedly stealing office equipment. She said that the charges had been “fabricated.”

“Anyone who attempts to criticize Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is persecuted in a very serous way,” she said, noting the Belarusian authorities` crackdown on civil society and tight control over the media.