Brussels, 19/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 19 December, the Polish minister for foreign affairs Radoslaw Sikorski and his counterparts from Germany, Guido Westerwelle, from the United Kingdom, William Hague, and from Sweden, Carl Bildt, called for tougher sanctions against the Belarus regime. Published in the Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza, the ministers announced in a “manifesto”: “we are going to support harsher EU sanctions against all those responsible for financing the regime and blatantly violating human rights.” They promised: “these sanctions will not affect ordinary citizens… at the same time, the EU will increase its support to civil society and democratic forces in Belarus.” On Friday 16 December, the EU announced sanctions against two more Belarus leaders. The number of individuals now subject to sanctions stands at 210.
On 18 December, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated their appeal for all political prisoners to be immediately released and rehabilitated, including the presidential candidates, Andreï Sannikau and Mikalai Statkevitch, and the human rights activist, Ales Byalyatski. They expressed their “serious concern” about new laws that will further encroach on fundamental freedoms and target civil society.
Since the presidential elections on 19 December 2010, the regime has carried out “brutal repression” against civil society, the political opposition and independent media. (CG/transl.fl)