Fate of Repressed Belarusians in the focus of attention of European Parliament :: Charter'97 :: News

Emergence of new political prisoners in Belarus causes concern of the European parliament’s deputies. “Belarus borders on the European Union, and it is paradoxical that such situation takes place in the center of Europe,” told vice –chairman of the European Parliament Janusz Onyszkiewicz at a press conference in Minsk. He was referring to the trials over opposition leaders Mikola Statkevich, Paval Sevyarynets and Andrei Klimov, sentenced for several years of forcible corrective labour for organizing protest rallies, and arrest of the former leader of the “Respublika” group Syarhei Skrabets. The MP of the European parliament also expressed concern over disappearances of political opponents of Lukashenka in Belarus. “We still do not know what had happened to the people who disappeared relatively long ago in Belarus. This question must be elucidated indisputably. We are very concerned over the tendency of the situation’s development in Belarus,” Janusz Onyszkiewicz said.

Vice-chairman of the European Parlament, member of the delegation of the European Parliament on relations with Belarus and of the group “Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe” Janusz Onyszkiewicz and the chairman of the faction “Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe” Graham Watson, visited Belarus on July 1.

The aim of the visit was to get acquainted with the situation in Belarus, and to establish contacts of the faction “Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe” with Belarusian politicians. Today morning the members of the European parliament have met with the leaders of the four democratic parties of Belarus, belonging to the coalition “Five Plus” – the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Vintsuk Vyachorka, the head of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada Stanislau Shushkevich and the leader of the Labour Party Alyaksandr Bukhvostau. Besides, the meetings of the deputies with the representative of the third sector, Alyaksandr Milinkevich, took place.

As said by the deputies of the European Parliament, these meetings were very productive in the aspect of studying the situation in Belarus, and they are going to cooperate with the representatives of the democratic opposition of the country in the future. “We are determined to help the countries bordering on the EU, to advance democracy, and to work on our common problems together. We are concerned by recent developments in Belarus. Belarus must embark on a course of democracy,” told the chairman of the faction “Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe” Graham Watson at the press conference.

As said by the parliamentarian, today it is essential to understand that the difficult situation with passing the EU Constitution does not mean that the EU should not expand. “When countries enter the path of democracy and fulfil all requirements for joining the EU, the European community would not say “no” to them. The problem of Belarus is that it is not moving in this direction. And we intend to attract attention of the European Parliament to the situation in this country. We should decide what the EU can do to promote development of democracy in the countries bordering on the EU,” Graham Watson said.

Vice –chairman of the European Parliament Janusz Onyszkiewicz, in the past the founder of the famous Polish “Solidarnosc” (Solidarity), has also expressed concern over the persecution of the Union of Poles in Belarus. Mr. Onyszkiewicz hopes that the Belarusian authorities would recognize the last convent of the Union of Poles and the new leadership of the Union of Poles. “The situation around the Union of Poles in Belarus seriously distresses us,” Mr. Onyszkiewicz said.

The deputies of the European parliament stated that their concern over the political situation in Belarus will be definitely expressed at the imminent session of the European Parliament.

Mr.Graham Watson, European Parliament deputy, Mr.Brian Bennett, British Ambassador in Belarus, and Mr.Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Vice-chairman of the European Parliament (from left to right)