Berlin distances itself from Bavarian far-right MP ahead of his Minsk visit

April 2, Pozirk. Germany strongly condemns systemic reprisals in Belarus, including last year’s parliamentary election held in an atmosphere of fear, a German foreign ministry official told Pozirk in a comment on a Minsk visit by Ulrich Singer, a politician from the far-right AfD.
Tomorrow, Belarusian MPs are expected to meet Singer, a member of the Bavarian State Parliament (Landtag) since 2018, according to the House of Representatives’ website.
However, the German diplomat noted that these Belarusian MPs were elected in an electoral process that was neither free nor fair. All independent Belarusian political parties and candidates were denied registration to participate, while Minsk did not invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, contrary to its international obligations, the diplomat added.
A serious deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus, along with Minsk’s support of Russia’s war on Ukraine, seriously affected bilateral relations with Germany, the source said. These developments forced Berlin to limit contacts and cooperation with government agencies in Belarus to a minimum, the diplomat said.
Berlin and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities with the most recent package adopted last week. The recent restrictions targeted the agricultural company Cybulka-Bieł, among others. Earlier, the media linked Cybulka-Bieł to AfD politician Jörg Dornau, suspected of using Belarusian political prisoners’ labor.
The foreign ministry did not directly condemn Singer’s visit to Minsk as members of the federal state parliaments are politically independent.
Also read: Germany’s pro-Russian politician to meet with Belarusian MPs
- EconomyPutin’s crony delivering goods from occupied Ukraine to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: concerns grow over jailed pundit Kaściuhova’s healthThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyLibyan delegation in MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyUpper house approves fines for vegetable shortagesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka says Belarusians should be grateful to his government for staying out warThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyWoman killed by hit-and-run Belarusian in PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsFour more people recognized as political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsUpper house passes bill to ban “extremists” from educationThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarusian universities to offer 1,000 tuition-free places for Russians this yearThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SocietyPoland seizes medical products from Belarus with Interpol involvementThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyKuźniacoŭ replaces Jafimaŭ as industry ministerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsRights defenders label seven as political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLukašenka appoints ambassadors to Africa, Middle East, Latin AmericaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsŁukašenka appoints more than a dozen local officialsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyMPs vote to criminalize unauthorized possession of dronesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsPaźniak: Washington can pull Belarus away from RussiaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics