Cichanoŭskaja stresses importance of sanctions at briefing for diplomats in Warsaw

June 17, Pozirk. Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja emphasized the importance of maintaining sanctions on Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime until “repression stops and systemic change begins in Belarus” during a briefing for diplomats from 29 countries at the Italian embassy in Warsaw on June 16.

According to the press office, the opposition politician spoke about pro-democracy forces’ plans, efforts to secure the release of political prisoners and the West’s sanctions policy. She stressed the need for supporting independent media and civil society.

She also urged Europe to issue more Schengen visas to Belarusians.

At the briefing, her associate Pavieł Łatuška reiterated his standard message that Belarus cannot overcome its political crisis without a round-table dialogue between its pro-democracy forces and authorities. He described the EU as an actor capable of forcing the regime to the negotiating table.

Łatuška warned the EU against lifting its sanctions “without real, not cosmetic change in the regime’s policies” and expressed confidence that the United States’ concessions alone are sufficient to secure the release of Belarusian political prisoners.

Łatuška stressed that Belarus’ democratization should be “on the agenda of any potential Ukraine peace talks,” because “without taking the situation in Belarus into account, a stable peace in Europe is unattainable.”

Łatuška urged EU countries to join the procedure initiated by Lithuania to bring Łukašenka’s regime to account through the International Criminal Court. He warned that if other countries choose to stay out, justice may not be served for the “hundreds of thousands of Belarusian victims now living in Poland, as well as in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Estonia and other countries.”

Diplomats from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the event.

Also present were Cichanoŭskaja’s aides Dzianis Kučynski and Franak Viačorka.

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