BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Wednesday, 15 June 2005

EU vs. Belarus

Written by David Ferguson in Brussels

"The European Union is especially concerned by the growing oppression of the political opposition forces, civil society, trade unions and independent media in Belarus," said EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana's office. According to EU officials recent court cases and a clamp-down on free media are aimed at eliminating potential opponents of President Aleksander Lukashenko in the run-up to the forthcoming presidential elections in 2006.

"The EU condemns the arrests and politically motivated trials, particularly of Messrs Skrebets, Statkevich, Severinets, Klimov, Bandajevski, Marinitch, Levonevski and Vasiljev. The EU calls for respect for the rule of law and the immediate release of the above named persons," continued Solana's office.

"The EU regrets the increasing use of anti-western language in state-controlled media and in public statements," reads yesterday's statement. "It is perturbed by Belarus' isolationist tendencies. The EU also notes with dismay the regime's increasing attempts to disrupt the activities of political parties and NGOs."

Unlike in the Ukraine and Georgia, pressure from both the EU and US for more democracy has yet to prove effective in Belarus. EU aid for civil society and Belarus citizens is also hampered by Brussels' cumbersome bureaucracy effectively excluding independent home-grown organizations. New Belarus laws also make it difficult for independent media and organizations to accept foreign finance.

Source:

http://euro-reporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=75&Itemid=1


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