Concrete result of the visit − hearings on the situation with human rights (photos)

The decision to organize the hearings in the Congress dedicated to the situation with human rights in Belarus was taken after the meeting of the US policy makers with the Movement for Freedom (the MFF) leader Alaksandr Milinkievich.

 

Milinkievich met the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy and human Karen Steward, the head of the US Helsinki Commission congressman Alcee Hastings, the author of the Belarus Democracy Act congressman Christopher Smith, the management of the Freedom House, and the Director on Belarus of the National Security Council Christian Queen.

 

During his talk with the influential American policy makers, the MFF leader raised the issue of political prisoners in Belarus (Mikalay Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipienka, and Mikhail Kazlou are behind the bars now), told about the intensification of repressions against the independent journalists (the summons for questioning of Natalla Radzina, Maryna Koktysh, Iryna Khalip, and Sviatlana Kalinkina), and reminded that the practice of non-registration of political and civil organizations continues (the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, the Young Front movement, the Assembly, Viasna, and other NGOs).

 

The author of the Belarus Democracy Act congressman Christopher Smith noted that the dialogue should be critical and conditional, that sanctions shall not be directed against simple people, and that the US, together with the OSCE, should strive for real changes of the election practice – namely, the inclusion of the independent candidates’ representatives into every election commission (as is already the case in Ukraine and Russia).

The issues of cooperation with the Belarusian human rights advocates and of the support of the repressed activists and journalists were discussed with the management of the Fredoom House.

 

The Director for the European affairs of the National Security Council Kristina Kvien told about the need to coordinate the policy of the US and the EU in relations with Belarus. He thinks that the US and the EU should speak in a single voice, and that the financial support for Belarus should depend on the specific steps on the democratization of the country. It’s very important to have a jointly developed “road map” for Belarus.

 

Based on the results of the talk with Milinkievich, the decision was taken to hold the hearings in Congress this year dedicated to the situation with human rights in Belarus.

 

After this representative meeting, the MFF leader participated in a briefing. Some twenty journalists asked the questions about the future election in Belarus, about the purposes of participation in the presidential campaign, about the development of relations with Russia, about the prospects of the dialogue with the official Minsk, etc.

Today, Milinkievich will have meetings with the leading US experts on the Central and the Eastern Europe in the Center for Strategic and International Research, will talk with the advisors and analysts of the Congress in the Heritage Foundation, and will meet the Belarusian emigrants in New York. The MFF leader will also give an interview to the Associated Press agency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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