Catherine Ashton upset and concerned by situation in Belarus
- 17.02.2010, 9:05
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice Chair of the European Commission Catherine Ashton has made a statement on February 16.
It is said in the statement that developments of the situation in Belarus “undermine our efforts to strengthen relations between the European Union and Belarus.”
Catherine Ashton is “disappointed by the recent arrests of 40 members of the Union of Poles (UPB) and other civil-society representatives in Belarus”, in particular the democratically elected head of the Union of Poles in Belarus Andzelika Borys. In the statement of Catherine Ashton “deep concern over the great fine to Borys”, BelaPAN informs.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy condemned actions of police against the UPB and “attempts of the authorities to impose new leadership to the Polish association”.
The EU has demonstrated considerable openness in the relations with Belarus, by including the country to the Eastern Partnership program, for instance. Success of these relations depends on steps of the Belarusian government in the direction of democratization and respect to human rights, including the rights of ethnic minorities, the statement reads. Ms Ashton finds it extremely important for Belarus to follow its international commitments in the sphere of defence and advance of rights of ethnic minorities in the country.
The European Union's foreign-policy chief is set to follow the developments in Belarus.
On February 15 in different towns of Belarus activists and leaders of the officially unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB) headed by Andzelika Borys were detained.
Borys was sentenced to a fine of Br 1 million 50 thousand (USD 360), representatives of the organisation’s leadership Andrzej Poczobut, Ihar Bantser (Igor Bancer) and Myachyslau Yaskevich (Mieczyslaw Jaskiewicz) sentenced to 5 days of arrest for staging a rally in support of Ivyanets branch of the UPB in Hrodna on February 10.
The chair of Ivyanets branch of the independent organisation Tereza Sobal was charged with seizure of the local Polish House. The suit against Tereza Sobal was filed by the leader of the local branch of the pro-regime Union of Poles Stanislau Syamashka (Stanislaw Siemaszko).