21.05.2009 Reporters without Borders: Lukashenka playing triple game

Representatives of Reporters without Borders blame the Belarusian authorities of pressing the opposition.

Only slightly changes in the situation with freedom of media can be noticed in Belarus, representative of Representatives of Reporters Elsa Vidal said on May 20. The human rights activist thinks there are different levers of pressure upon the Belarusian ruler in this sector, but it’s “very difficult to press on Alyaksandr Lukashenka”, Deutsche Welle reports.

23.04.2009 Estonian Foreign Minister says EU should force Belarus respect human rights

On 22 April the Tallinn-based EU Information Center hosted a debate on Belarus’ membership in the Eastern Partnership program, featuring the Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, MP Andres Herkel, as well as Belarusian students, studying in Estonia. ‘Minister Paet stressed that the European Union’s objective was making Minsk respect human rights in the country and observe international standards in the sphere. Otherwise, the EU may within a short period of time reimpose all its former sanctions on the existing regime,’ said the initiator of the meeting head of the Open Republic youth NGO Yauhen Kryshtafovich. ‘There is no doubt that changes do not occur within half a year, but, as the MP Herkel and Mr. Kryshtafovich stressed, Lukashenka could have abolish the controversial articles within 30 minutes. The cooperation is only possible in case it is mutual,’ said Ihar Sluchak, Belarusian student of Tartu University.

07.04.2009 Conclusion of the EU Council on Establishing the EU - Belarus Human Rights Dialogue

.

03.04.2009 ‘European Belarus’ protests against Russian military bases in Belarus

On April 2 in Minsk near October cinema where lots of city dwellers were at that moment, three activists of the civil campaign European Belarus raised a national flag at the second-storey platform of the building and unfurled a poster with the words No to Russian military bases! Young oppositionists chanted: ‘Russian soldier, go home!’, ‘No to union! Yes to freedom!’, ‘No to union with imperialistic Russia!’

02.04.2009 European Parliament adopted new resolution on Belarus

The resolution condemning human rights violations in Belarus was approved at the session of the European Parliament in Brussels on 2 April by 594 votes in favor and 19 against, RFE/RL reports.

01.04.2009 European parliamentarians cancel their visit to Minsk

The European Parliament cancelled the visit of its members to Minsk scheduled for April 6–8.

20.03.2009 European Union approved Eastern partnership

The issue of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s invitation to the summit of the EU countries leaders and the six post-Soviet countries to Prague remains open.

On March 20 in Brussels leaders of the EU countries approved the new Eastern partnership program. 6 post-Soviet countries are included into the program: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The program envisages economic integration and political rapprochement of the EU with these states.

19.03.2009 100 Cities Say No to Minsk and Demand EU Foreign Policy

Last night, over 110 cities across Europe and worldwide, from Oslo to Istanbul, from Lisbon to Vilnius as well as in Dubai, Mexico, Pretoria and New York took to the streets against Lukashenko's unjust Belarus dictatorship, demanding a European Foreign Policy.

Activists across the continent gagged statues – symbolically preventing them from speaking freely – much like the current situation for many Belarusian citizens and leaders of democracy and oppositions movements.

17.03.2009 Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg expresses his concern about recent facts of human rights violations in Belarus

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, commented on the decision concerning the EU sanctions against Belarus, following a meeting of EU foreign ministers on 16 March: ‘We have agreed that the European Union should continue its engagements in Belarus and supporting the positive events in the country. Therefore, we have agreed to prolong visa sanctions suspension for several Belarusian officials for another 9 months.

10.03.2009 Europe expects system changes from Belarus

Delivering a speech in the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, stated that more political reforms are expected from the Belarusian regime.

26.02.2009 Javier Solana’s conditions for the Belarusian regime

Belarus will be able to take part in the Eastern Partnership project only if all conditions of the European Union are implemented.

23.02.2009 Europarliament delegations says Belarus keeps violating human rights

Lithuanian MEP Laima Liucija Andrikiene, who initiated the visit, told reporters that they had come to see the situation in Belarus with their own eyes. She described the visit as brief, intensive and important.

According to her, within six hours, the delegation met with the ambassadors of EU member countries; Dzmitry Yermalyuk, head of the Belarusian foreign ministry’s European integration department; Uladzimir Serpikaw, director of the ministry’s European cooperation department; Zhanna Litvina, chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists; and opposition leaders, including Vintsuk Vyachorka, Pavel Sevyarynets and former presidential candidates Alyaksandr Milinkevich and Alyaksandr Kazulin.

19.02.2009 BAJ Chair Litvina meets with Solana

‘It is very important for us that European officials understand that any dialogue, any reform in the country is only possible in case the freedom of speech is secured,’ said Zhanna Litvina, Chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, after her meeting with Javier Solana, Secretary General of the Council of the European Union. ‘We want the dialogue between Europe and Belarus to be based on actual improvements of the situation with mass media in Belarus,’ said she. ‘Mr.Solana stressed that his first meeting on his visit to Minsk was the meeting with representatives of the Belarusian civil society. It is an evidence of the significance of their opinion for the further development of EU-Belarus dialogue,’ said Mrs.Litvina.

16.02.2009 HR Center Viasna issues statement on brutal dispersal of 14 February peaceful action

On 14 February 2008 the unregistered Young Front organization conducted a peaceful youth demonstration. In spite of the fact that the action was peaceful, the demonstrators were attacked by representatives of the Belarusian riot police, using violence and compliance weapons. As a result, dozens of citizens were beaten up. However, none of the participants of the action was detained, which indicates the deliberate character of the violent actions, aimed at intimidation and display of power by the Belarusian authorities. The violence used was demonstrative and deliberately excessive. It should be observed that the action was preceded by a series of searches at the private apartments of the Young Front members.

27.01.2009 MEPS protest against forceful drafting of Belarusian oppositionists

Jacek Protasiewicz, head of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Belarus, concerns about practice of forceful call-up for military service in Belarus.

His statement issued on January 26 says it.

The Polish MEP notes medical conclusions of draftees are reviewed in Belarus, and officers of the secret services take active part in forceful call-up, BelaPAN reports.

This practice causes serious doubts that compulsory military service is used as a type of political repressions against opposition activists, says the statement of the head of the delegation for relations with Belarus.