BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/09/2007

EU External Commissioner urges Belarusian authorities to release those detained on political grounds

FOCUS News Agency

Brussels. EU Commissioner for External relations Benita ferrero-Waldner urged the Belarusian authorities to immediately release all those detained on political grounds and to respect the basic human right of the Belarusian people to express themselves and to assemble, the press office of the European Commission informs.

"I would expect the Belarusian authorities to act in accordance with their recently reconfirmed position of getting closer to the EU. These actions are in contrast to this position", Commissioner Waldner stated.

She has welcomed the initiative taken by Belarusian civil society to organise a European March in Minsk on 14 October in order to express the support of the Belarusian people for closer relations between Belarus and the EU.

"It is good to see that Belarusian civil society has taken up the EU's offer to Belarus to enter a full partnership, provided that Belarus would take convincing steps towards democratisation", Waldner stated.

Commissioner Waldner has further expressed her concer by the reports that a number of organisers of this peaceful march have been arrested.

Source:

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n123076