30 May 2007
EU Presidency welcomes early release of Sevyarynets, Statkevich
The European Union Presidency has welcomed the recent early release of two opposition politicians Pavel Sevyarynets and Mikalay Statkevich.
It said in a statement on Tuesday that the government of Belarus should release all other political prisoners "without delay."
It also called for an end to the "repression" of opposition youth groups. It said that following Tuesday's judgment against five members of an unregistered opposition group called Malady Front, the Belarusian authorities also should release the group's leader, Zmitser Dashkevich, sentenced to 18 months in a minimum-security correctional institution on November 1, 2006.
The Presidency reiterated the EU's offer to enter into a full partnership with Belarus within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy. However, it stressed that "this cooperation is contingent upon the Belarusian Government professing its strong commitment to democratic values, human rights and the rule of law and initiating democratic reforms."
http://brestonline.com/en/news/news1178.html