2006 PRESS RELEASES

United States and EU Deeply Concerned at Continuing Deterioration of Human Rights Situation and Further Erosion of the Democratic Process in Belarus

Minsk, Belarus
August 15, 2006

The United States and the EU had already on many occasions expressed their concerns on the Belarusian authorities' disrespect for international standards of democracy and human rights. The United States and the EU planned a joint demarche on these issues. The United States and the EU note with regret that the requested high-level meetings with the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus were refused.

The Charges d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy and the German Embassy(representing the EU presidency) recently carried out parallel demarches on the sentencing of the former presidential candidate Aleksandr Kozulin and the four members of the Belarusian NGO "Partnership", Timofei Dranchuk, Aleksandr Shalaiko, Nikolai Astreiko and Enira Bronitskaya. The United States and the EU see these trials as clearly politically motivated and expressed their deep concerns at the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation and the further erosion of the democratic process in Belarus.

The United States and the EU reiterated their demands to immediately release Aleksandr Kozulin, the four members of the NGO "Partnership" and all other political prisoners.

The United States and the EU stated that they were not interested in isolating Belarus, but we would like to see Belarus as a democratic, stable and prosperous country with strong links with the international community.