3157th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 22 and 23 March 2012

 Council conclusions on on Belarus
 
3157th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting
Brussels, 22 and 23 March 2012

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"1. Recalling the Council conclusions on 31 January 2011 and 20 June 2011, the Council reiterates its grave concern about the continued lack of respect for human rights, democracy
and rule of law in Belarus, and regrets that further repressive measures have taken place.

2.  As the political prisoners have not been released and rehabilitated, and against the background of the further deterioration of the situation, the Council decided to designate additional persons responsible for serious violations of human rights or the repression of civil society and democratic opposition, to the list of those subject to travel restrictions and assets freezes. The Council also decided to designate further businessmen and companies benefitting from or supporting the regime and will agree further such designations at upcoming Council meetings if all Belarusian political prisoners are not released. The EU´s restrictive measures remain open and under constant review.

Read...

Official sourse: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/...

News of Belarus

The website charter97.org announced winners of the National Human Rights Award 2014

This year's winners of the Viktar Ivashkevich National Human Rights Award are:

Vasil Parfiankou

The life of Vasil Parfiankou is a demonstration of how dissidents are treated in Belarus. Parfiankou has been jailed three times in the last four years for his active citizenship.

Belarussian political prisoners need European Parliament support

Today, on the occasion of the visit of Ales Bialiatski, a recently released political activist and Chairman of the Belarus Human Rights Centre "Viasna", Petras Auštrevičius MEP (Liberal Movement, Lithuania) and Hans Van Baalen MEP (VVD, Netherlands) commented:

Prominent Belarusian Rights Activist Released

Prominent Belarusian human rights activist Ales Byalyatski has arrived in Minsk after he was released from prison.

He was welcomed at a Minsk train station by his wife Natalya Pinchuk and a group of supporters on June 21.

Byalyatski told reporters he was released under an amnesty law that came into force on June 21. The rights activist also that the domestic and international support he had received heped in getting him released early.