Joint statement on situation after elections in BELARUS - Main contents
The liberal forces of Europe strongly condemn the violent repression of political protest in the aftermath of the Presidential elections in Belarus on 19 December 2010 when more than 600 people were arrested.
At least 25 civic activists and political opponents of the regime are accused of "mass disorders" and risk up to 15 years of imprisonment. 23 of them are still detained in remand prisons: among them not only presidential candidates and politicians, but also journalists, intellectuals and our liberal partners.
The European liberals call on the Belarusian authorities to release anyone detained for the expression of critical views regarding the outcome of the election and to avoid the reappearance of the practice of imprisonment of political opponents. We demand that the investigation into the so-called "mass disorder" be conducted in a proper and politically unbiased way. We strongly demand a clear roadmap for democratic reform and free and fair elections to be developed by the Belarusian authorities with assistance of the international institutions.
Anne Brasseur
ALDE - PACE
Guy Verhofstadt
ALDE - EP
Annemie Neyts
ELDR
Hans Van Baalen
LI