Questions of socio-political situation, the human rights situation, the political prisoners, geopolitical realities and prospects of the upcoming presidential election in Belarus were discussed by Belarusian and Lithuanian
politicians and public figures. A political scientist Tatsiana Chulitskaya (right) said that the modern complex situation in the region has left its mark on the situation in Belarus: “Now in the international arena, President Lukashenka acted as a peacemaker and the official media only highlight his achievements in foreign policy.” As for the presidential election campaign, according to the analyst, the difficult situation in Ukraine, provided the Belarusian authorities a good context – instability in neighboring Ukraine worries and restrains people and can allow the authorities to brutally suppress any initiative and protests.
While international attention to Belarus increased in February because of the negotiations in Minsk, the pressure on political prisoners and human rights defenders in this period was not acknowledged by the international community and human rights activists, according to the president of the Belarusian Human Rights House Tatsiana Reviaka (left), are alarming sentiment: “There is a feeling that establishing of political cooperation between Europe and official Minsk has gone forward, while the pre-condition – the release of all political prisoners – was not fulfilled but ignored.” During her speech, the president of the Belarusian Human Rights House stressed that in the context of today’s unstable situation in the region it is important to remember previously acquired experience of human rights being the foundation of peace and security. “The lack of human rights leads to instability, as it happened in Ukraine . Instability always appears after an absence of human rights, and not vice versa as somebody may argue now, substituting the concepts “- said Tatsiana Reviaka.
The human rights situation at the moment was characterized by human rights defender Tatsiana Reviaka as complex and disturbing. Andrei Aliaksandrau (right), a representative of the Belarusian Association of Journalists agreed with her. He outlined the problematic points to the media situation in Belarus and noted a significant deterioration in the human rights situation in the region: “What used to be only Belarusian problem, is happening now and the neighboring countries as well. We are no longer the last dictatorship in Europe “.
The speakers repeatedly talked about the need for dialogue between Belarus and Europe, but noted the importance of a principled position. Tatsiana Reviaka stressed that the dialogue will be possible only if the Belarusian authorities are really ready to make concrete steps. “It takes two to tango” – said the human rights defender. Andrei Aliaksandrau, in turn, added that he considers EU dialogue with the government only unpromising. According to him, the EU should act as a mediator between the authorities and civil society, and it can be an effective means to improve the situation in Belarus.
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