EU statement on the request of the Belarusian authorities that the EU Head of Delegation and Polish Ambassador to Minsk leave the country

Submitted by admin on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 09:33

PC.DEL/154/12
1 March 2012 
   
ENGLISH only

EUROPEAN UNION
OSCE Permanent Council Nr 903
Vienna, 01 March 2012

The European Union would like to draw the attention of the Permanent Council to the statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton on the request of the Belarusian authorities that the EU Head of Delegation and Polish Ambassador to Minsk leave the country, issued on 28 February 2012 in Brussels:

“Following today’s request by the Belarusian authorities that the Head of the EU Delegation in Minsk and the Ambassador of Poland to Belarus leave the country, I have decided, in coordination with Foreign Minister Sikorski, that we will recall for consultations our two ambassadors.

At the same time, I have called a meeting of Member States Ambassadors (PSC) in Brussels today to coordinate our response. In an expression of solidarity and unity, it was agreed that the ambassadors of the EU Member States in Minsk will all be withdrawn for consultations to their capitals. All EU Member States will also summon Belarusian ambassadors to their foreign ministries.

We will continue to follow the situation closely.”

http://www.osce.org/pc/88754

News of Belarus

PACE rapporteur dismayed by harassment of Viasna human rights centre in Belarus

Submitted by admin on Wed, 11/28/2012 - 15:29

Strasbourg, 21.11.2012 – Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD), the rapporteur on Belarus of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has expressed his dismay that the “Viasna” human rights centre in Minsk has been ordered to vacate its office by 27 November, following a year of obscure legal procedures which transferred ownership of the apartment in which the office is located to the state.

Valiantsin Stefanovich: "Viasna" will continue its work in all circumstances

Submitted by admin on Wed, 11/21/2012 - 10:45

It was reported on Saturday that the confiscation of the office of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" was scheduled for November 26. Human rights defenders stress that the news was not a surprise for the activists of the organization and they would continue their work in all circumstances.