27/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - Ashton criticises “politically motivated sentences”. The EU high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, has criticised the “very harsh sentences” delivered by the Belarusian justice system against two opposition members running as candidates for the presidential elections in December 2010, Mikalay Statkevich and Dzmitry Uss. “These politically motivated sentences are yet another step backwards as regards Belarus' respect for human rights, the rule of law and democratic principles”, Ashton said on 26 May. She calls on the Belarusian authorities to put an end to the crackdown on the political opposition, civil society and the independent press, and calls for the immediate release of all three political prisoners. (H.B./transl.jl)