BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/02/2007

European Parliament Head Calls On Belarusian President To Release Political Prisoners

European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering on February 8 called on Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to immediately release all political prisoners, Belapan reported. Poettering was speaking at a European Parliament session devoted to Belarus. He said that Lukashenka's regime has been corned in the wake of an energy dispute with Russia, adding that the EU is ready to engage in dialogue with Minsk under strict conditions. But Poettering also stressed that the EU should continue its policy of isolating the Belarusian regime while supporting Belarus's civil society, independent media, and students. Meanwhile, Rene van der Linden, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, argued that the policy of isolation has not had the desired effect and called for gradual EU moves toward Belarus. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/02/3-CEE/cee-090207.asp