BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
13/02/2008
Belarusian President Describes Economic Sanctions As Blackmail And Regards Issue Of Political Prisoners As Closed
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on February 12 that the sanctions imposed against the state-owned Belnaftakhim petrochemical company are "nothing other than economic blackmail on the part of unscrupulous competitors that seek to prevent Belarusian companies from getting into the Latin American market," Belapan and RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. In November 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department froze all assets under U.S. jurisdiction belonging to Belnaftakhim and its representatives, and barred Americans from doing business with the company, which it says is controlled by Lukashenka. Lukashenka said that for several years, threats were made to freeze bank accounts belonging to him and other Belarusian leaders. "After finding nothing, they decided to cast an economic noose on state enterprises that employ thousands of people," Lukashenka said during an extensive address to a group of students at Belarusian State University in Minsk. "Such methods cannot be justified by anything. Their discriminatory nature is evident to not only us but also other countries that support us," he added. AM
President Lukashenka on February 12 told students at Belarusian State University that he regards the issue of political prisoners in Belarus as closed. "We have closed this painful page in relations with the West, and are the first to propose movement ahead," he said, adding that "now it is the turn of the European Union to show its good intentions with regard to the Belarusian people." Lukashenka said that "the early release or release on parole of some prisoners for whom the West has special feelings" was a "goodwill gesture" and he stipulated that "their release was not connected with the forgiveness of crimes they committed, but was prompted by humane considerations only." The Belarusian authorities recently released from prison youth activists Artur Finkevich and Zmitser Dashkevich, as well as businessmen Yury Lyavonau and Mikalay Autukhovich. The United States considers three other people to be political prisoners: former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin, former legislator Andrey Klimau, and journalist Alyaksandr Zdzvizhkou. AM
Source:
http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/02/3-cee/cee-130208.asp
Archive
