Opposition leader encourages Swiss ambassador to ask questions about political prisoners

February 28, Pozirk. Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja suggested that the Swiss Ambassador in Minsk should raise the issue of political prisoners and request Alaksandar Łukašenka to provide access to prisons.

The Belarusian opposition leader made the proposal to this effect on February 27 in Bern during her meeting with Alexandre Fasel in charge of Swiss diplomacy, her aide Franak Viačorka has told Pozirk.

Switzerland is ready to issue foreigners’ travel documents to Belarusians who cannot return to their home country, but decisions would be taken on a case-by-case basis, he noted in a comment about the meeting. The parties also discussed support for about 1,300 Belarusians residing in Switzerland, he added.

Cichanoŭskaja expressed hope that Switzerland would not recognize the results of the recent parliamentary and local elections in Belarus.

On the same day, she invited Eric Nussbaumer, president of the Swiss National Council, and Swiss MPs to visit Vilnius and Warsaw to meet with the families of political prisoners, former prisoners, civil society activists and journalists.

The politician also addressed diplomats from 27 countries at the Polish Embassy in Bern, including representatives of Canada, Norway, the European Union’s counties, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

She urged them to support a resolution on Belarus at the UN Human Rights Council, continue the implementation of two UN mechanisms on Belarus, tighten sanctions and demand the release of political prisoners, Viačorka said.

The politician advocated appointments of special envoys for relations with the Belarusian opposition, noting that Estonia, France, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine have already done it with the United States to follow soon.