Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-07-04-Speech-4-194"
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"en.20020704.9.4-194"2
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". – The situation in Belarus regarding democracy and human rights is of the greatest concern to the Commission and the Member States. In principle, Belarus should be among our most important partners: it will be a direct neighbour after enlargement, and is a main line of communication between the EU and Russia. However, the systematic suppression of opposition elements, including a number of “disappearances”, the lack of democratic checks and balances and the treatment of the media have led us to freeze relations. We have indeed, as recommended in some of the motions which have been put down today, warned the Belarussian authorities that they cannot expect any change in that situation unless they take clear steps towards respect for human rights and democracy and introduction of the rule of law.
The treatment of journalists and authors in Belarus is scandalous. The practice of preparing lists of writers which should not be published reminds one of times we all believed were over. They are in total violation of OSCE and European standards. We are also deeply concerned about the closure of the newspaper
already mentioned by two Members of Parliament, and the sentencing of its editor and one of his collaborators, as well as the charges against the editor of
. These men had all been accused of slandering the president during the electoral campaign last year.
Belarus refuses to cooperate with the OSCE, which it has accused of meddling in its internal affairs. We strongly believe that the OSCE should continue to maintain a presence in Belarus and should actively assist the country to implement the obligations it took on in acceding to the OSCE.
The Commission will continue to stress that Member States should not make concessions to, or deal with, the Belarussian Government unless and until there is a fundamental shift in its attitude. At the same time we should be ready to respond if and when that shift takes place, while continuing to use our instruments to support civil society and people-to-people contacts. Both Tacis and the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) are active in these fields.
I also have no doubt that the EU will continue to raise the cases of individuals, including these journalists, opposition politicians, and academics like Professor Bandazhevsky."@en1
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"Pagonya,"1
"Rabochy"1
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