BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

05/08/2006

U.S. Condemns Sentencing of Election Observers in Belarus

MosNews

Washington has condemned Belarus for sentencing four election monitors to jail and said the United States would impose sanctions against the responsible officials.

The four Belarussian members of the Partnyorstvo (Partnership) election monitoring group were found guilty Friday of participating in an unregistered non-governmental organization, AFP reported.

They had been trying to set up independent monitoring of March presidential elections in which strongman Alexander Lukashenko won a third term in power over opposition candidates who accused authorities of intimidation and fraud.

"As we have done in the past, we will take steps to impose appropriate sanctions on those responsible for abusing the rights of these Belarussian citizens," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

In May, U.S. President George W. Bush froze the U.S. assets of Lukashenko and nine other individuals deemed obstacles to democracy in the republic.

"We call on the Belarussian authorities to free the Partnership civic activists and all those being held on politically motivated charges," McCormack said Friday.

The four have been in jail since they were detained on February 21 in the run-up to the March 19 election.

Partnyorstvo activists across the country were rounded up ahead of the election by armed security men wearing masks. Office equipment belonging to the organization was confiscated.

The four were originally accused of plotting a coup with Washington's support ahead of the presidential elections.

"The United States condemns today's conviction of four independent election observers of the monitoring group Partnership," the statement said.

"The politically motivated trial continues a disturbing pattern by the authorities to intimidate civil society activists and to further erode the democratic process in Belarus.

"Their sentences range from six months to two years for allegedly running an unregistered organization that 'encroaches' on people's rights," the statement said.

Source:

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/08/05/usagainst.shtml