EU to Belarus authorities: Stop harassing activists and journalists

Slovakia who is currently holding the EU presidency on March 28 disseminated a statement on Belarus. “On behalf of the EU member states, we express a strong disappointment with the arrests of a great number of action participants, especially young people, as well as with the use of force in order to disperse peaceful demonstrators on Freedom Day in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on March 25.

Reminding that the major demonstration in Minsk was authorized by the Minski City Hall  and was taking place peacefully, the European Union urges the Belarusian authorities to release immediately all the detainees and halt their further persecution.

The European Union numerously expressed its desire to develop constructive relations with Belarus. We positively welcomed the recent release of all but one internationall recognized political prisoners in Belarus. We repeatedly state that we expect an unconditional release of Mr Alexander Kozulin, the last political prisoner. This would allow the European Union to begin a progressive deepening of relations with Belarus.

In order to improve relations with the European Union, the Belarusian authorities must refrain from further arrests and put a halt to the persecution of the representatives of the Belarusian civil society.

In this context, the March 25 events and an all-out crackdown on March 27 on the local journalists working with the foreign media, cause our special concern. We are not less concerned with the treatment of the US ambassador in Minsk and many of her staff who urgently had to leave Belarus.

We hope that Belarus will make rapid and concrete steps that will allow to restore the positive dynamics in relations between the European Union and Belarus".