Without the release of political prisoners EU-Belarus relations will remain unchanged

The European Parliament has adopted today a resolution calling on Belarusian authorities to respect human rights and to begin democratization efforts. It recalled as well that the release of political prisoners is an absolute condition for a progress in EU-Belarus relations. This progress would lead to, inter alia, a progressive abolition of EU sanctions and to unfreezing of relations between the UE and Minsk, stressed MEPs.

"The goal of today's resolution is not to sanction but to provide guidance for the future EU policy towards Belarus. According to the Parliament there is no doubt that the improvement of EU-Belarus relations depends entirely on the decision of Minsk and the release by Belarusian authorities of people recognized by human rights defenders as political prisoners", explained Jacek Protasiewicz, who on behalf of the EPP Group coordinated the work on the report.

"The release of Z. Dashkevich and A. Frantskevich does not equivoque to the improvement of human rights situation in Belarus. Those releases are only the consequence of them having served their sentence. Ales Bialiatski is still in jail and pressures on Belarusian opposition continue", said Filip Kaczmarek, Chairman of the delegation for relations with Belarus.

According to the European Parliament, Belarusian authorities should make the most of the possibility to engage in a dialogue offered to them by the EU and not waste the opportunity that is the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius and the temporary suspension of the entry ban against the Belarusian minster of foreign affairs.

"The Eastern Partnership, in which Belarus takes part, was created not to harm but to improve the economic and social situation of EU's Eastern neighbours. We would be glad to see citizens of Belarus benefiting from it instead of bearing consequences of growing isolation to which they are condemned by the current policy of the authorities in Minsk", concluded Jacek Protasiewicz.