BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

28/03/2008

EU urges Belarus to end crackdown for better ties

BRUSSELS, March 28 (Reuters) - The European Union on Friday called on Belarus to end a crackdown on protesters and journalists if it wanted to improve relations with the bloc.

A statement from the Slovenian EU presidency condemned the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators on March 25 and called for the immediate release of those arrested.

It called the detention of journalists connected to foreign media and the treatment of the U.S. ambassador "particularly worrisome" and reiterated a call for the unconditional release of dissident Alexander Kozulin.

"In order to improve relations with the European Union, the Belarussian authorities should refrain from further arrests and stop persecuting the representatives of Belarussian civil society," the statement said.

"The events of March 25 and the nationwide round-up of local journalists connected to foreign media, which started on March 27, are particularly worrisome," the statement said.

Security police raided Belarussian broadcasters' offices in the former Soviet republic on Thursday, two days after police broke up a rally by opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko and arrested protesters.

Earlier this month the U.S. ambassador left the former Soviet republic after Belarus authorities, objecting to what they saw as new sanctions against Belarus, urged her to go.

The statement said the European Union had repeatedly indicated its willingness to develop constructive relations with Belarus -- a key transit country for EU-bound Russian gas -- and expressed "strong disappointment" at the arrests and use of violence against demonstrators.

"The European Union hopes that Belarus will now take prompt and concrete steps to enable a resumption of positive dynamics in relations between the European Union and Belarus," the statement said.

It said the European Union had taken positive note of the recent release of all but one internationally recognised political prisoners.

"The Union reiterates its expectation that (Kozulin), the last remaining political prisoner, will be released unconditionally and without delay," the statement said.

"This would enable the European Union to start engaging progressively with Belarus."

On Thursday, the United States strongly condemned the Belarus crackdown, calling the government "a brutal, authoritarian dictatorship that blatantly ignores human rights and fundamental freedoms". (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Dominic Evans)

Source:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L28816514.htm

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