EU, UK demand freedom for Bialacki, Pačobut, other political prisoners

February 16, BPN. Repression by Alaksandr Łukašenka’s regime continues unabated, according to the EU’s statement on political prisoners in Belarus, delivered to the OSCE’s Permanent Council in Vienna on February 16.

The statement reads that at present there are “over 1,440 political prisoners” in the country.

The EU says it is “unacceptable” to persecute “persons belonging to national minorities,” such as Poles living in Belarus.

“Last week, a court in Hrodna pronounced another politically motivated verdict: a Belarusian-Polish journalist and member of the board of the independent Union of Poles in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut [Andrej Pačobut], was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony on trumped-up charges of ‘incitement to hatred.’ This disgraceful verdict is directed not only against this courageous journalist, but represents yet another act in the anti-Polish campaign of the Belarusian authorities,” it said.

The EU called the ongoing trial against the Viasna human rights group, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aleś Bialacki, “another alarming step in the violent campaign against civil society.”

“The EU strongly condemns the brutal repression aimed at silencing any independent voices and closing all space for democratic debate. The persecution of civil society, democratic activists and human rights defenders in Belarus must stop. We will continue to support all the people striving for a free, democratic and independent Belarus,” it said.

It urged the Belarusian authorities “to immediately and unconditionally release and rehabilitate all those unlawfully detained, […] to stop violating human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Belarusian people, to engage in a genuine and inclusive dialogue with the democratic forces, and to enable a peaceful political transition to a democratic society.”

British Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown in her statement to the OSCE also called on the Belarusian regime to immediately release all political prisoners.

She mentioned the sentence on Poczobut, pointing that the journalist “is known for his reporting on the anti-Polish nature of Łukašenka’s policies and the treatment of the Polish minority by the Belarusian regime.”

“Thirty-three media representatives are currently imprisoned in Belarus. The safety of journalists is the key to media freedom. We need to hold to account those who threaten and harm journalists around the world,” the ambassador said.

Following the meeting of the Permanent Council, Polish envoy to the OSCE Adam Hałaciński expressed confidence that “Belarus will prevail over totalitarianism.” “This will happen due to the courage of its people, including those imprisoned by the regime. Abuse of power ends with loss of power,” he tweeted.