BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/10/2007

US welcomes Belarus pro-freedom demo, condemns arrests

(WASHINGTON) - Washington Thursday welcomed a planned demonstration this weekend in Belarus for democratic reforms and European Union membership, and criticized the arrest in Minsk of opposition activists.

"We welcome the initiative taken by the citizens of Belarus to organize a march" on Saturday, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said in a statement, adding that it was "ecouraging" Minsk had allowed the march.

"However, we are concerned about preemptive arrests and detentions of organizers of the event as well as other efforts by the Belarus authorities to minimize the impact of the march," Casey said.

Opposition sources in Minsk reported Thursday that several activists opposed to hardline President Alexander Lukashenko's rule had been arrested in recent days ahead of the planned "European March."

Casey voiced "concern for the well being" of all political prisoners in Belarus and called for their "immediate release."

Saturday's protest will also call for more democratic freedoms and the release of political prisoners in Belarus, which has been condemned by Washington as the last dictatorship in Europe.

Casey also urged the Belarus government to allow its citizens to "participate unimpeded" in the peaceful march, and its security forces to "excercise restraint with demonstrators."

Source:

http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1192148221.41

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