Zmitser Bandarenka: “It is undoubtedly a politically motivated arrest” :: Charter'97 :: News

“It is undoubtedly a politically motivated arrest. At present Lukashenka and his clique are literally quaking with fear. Recently the Belarusian officials have received two clear messages: firstly, that Lukashenka is not only a world’s outcast, but that he had been expelled from Moscow on May 9, and secondly – renaming streets give evidence of poor mental health of the dictator,” told the coordinator of the Charter’97, member of the Council of Civil initiatives “Free Belarus” Zmitser Bandarenka, commenting to the Chartyer’97 press center on the arrest of the Belarusian opposition activist, leader of the group “Respublika” Syarhei Skrabets.

According to the human rights activist, “it is obvious that Russia would cling to Belarus, but not to Lukashenka. That is why the active oppositionists that either demonstrate liking for Russia openly (Marynich, Levaneuski, Vasilyeu, Klimov), or according to the regime capable of drawing Russian resources for fight with Lukashenka. That concerns Skrabets, and the same Marynich and Klimov.

“That does not mean that other oppositionists would not be arrested. However, despite of all repressions, it is clear that the downfall of Lukashenka’s regime is a question of near future,” Z. Bandarenka is convinced.

Syarhei Skrabets was one of the organizers of the protest on July 21, 2004, timed to the end of 10-year rule of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.