Jacques Chirac’s Administration Supports Belarusian Political Prisoner :: Charter'97 :: News

The administration of the French President Jacques Chirac has expressed support and solidarity with the Belarusian political prisoner Mikhail Marynich. “Perfectly knowing the present situation in Belarus, I would like to assure you that the struggle which you are conducting for normalization of the political situation in your country could get only positive response in France. With all my heart I wish the common sense to prevail so that the Belarusian authorities would order to release you. Rest assured that France and the European Union together would raise this issue in their talks with the Belarusian government,” the letter signed by the Diplomatic Advisor to the French President reads.

As we have informed, in December 2004 imprisoned former Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belarus Mikhail Marynich addressed a letter to the leaders of the G8 countries hoping to find defence of his constitutional rights. The Foreign Office of the Great Britain was the first to answer the letter of the political prisoner. Now we would like to offer you the letter from the Administration of the President of France.

“Dear Sir,

The President of the Republic has received your letter forwarded by the Embassy of France in Minsk, and he is grateful for the letter. He empowered me to inform you that the news about confirmation of your sentence has been received with great disappointment by him. Though the term has been shortened to 3.5 years, it does not reverse the illegal character of the ruling. Perfectly knowing the present situation in Belarus, I would like to assure you that the struggle which you are conducting for normalization of the political situation in your country, could get only positive response in France. With all my heart I wish the common sense to prevail so that the Belarusian authorities would order to release you. Rest assured that France and the European Union together would raise this issue in their talks with the Belarusian government.

Assuring you of my highest esteem,

Maurice Gourdault-Montagne

Diplomatic Advisor

Administration of the President of the French Republic”