January 24, BPN. The issue of Belarus’ political prisoners is of great importance to the European Union, the European Commission’s foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano told reporters in Brussels on January 19.
“We are paying a very close attention to it because this is just the reflection and illustration of the wide ranging repression that Łukašenka regime is waging and continues to wage against its own population. So, of course, this is something that we are watching very closely, and we are taking measures and reacting,” Stano said.
He went on to say that the EU had “several tools” to respond to the issue. Sanctions are already in place “against those who are participating in or supporting the ongoing repression, including on the judiciary, which is being politically misused to persecute people for expressing their opinions,” Stano said.
He added that the EU was considering “other measures” and engaging with partners in international forums to “increase and step up the political pressure on Łukašenka regime to release these people.”
“We call on Łukašenka regime to release these people immediately and not to continue with the repression,” Stano said. “This is taken up regularly with the foreign ministers of the European Union. Member states are active on this. We are using all tools at our disposal, including condemnation and restrictive measures, to react to it. And we will continue doing so because this is unacceptable.”
“All the political prisoners have to be released along with those who have been detained and are detained for peacefully protesting against [Alaksandr] Łukašenka taking away freedoms and fundamental rights from the population of Belarus,” he concluded.
Belarusian human rights activists said there were at least 1,437 political prisoners as of January 24.
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