Belarus: EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner on arrests of civil society members

"I welcome the initiative taken by Belarusian civil society to organise a European March in Minsk on 14 October in order to express the support of the Belarusian people for closer relations between Belarus and the EU.

It is good to see that Belarusian civil society has taken up the EU's offer to Belarus to enter a full partnership, provided that Belarus would take convincing steps towards democratisation.

In this context, I am concerned by reports that a number of organisers of this peaceful march have been arrested.

I would expect the Belarusian authorities to act in accordance with their recently reconfirmed position of getting closer to the EU. These actions are in contrast to this position.

I urge the Belarusian authorities to immediately release all those detained on political grounds and to respect the basic human right of the Belarusian people to express themselves and to assemble, including on the 14th October."

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• Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on Belarus (28/2/2008)
• EU Presidency Statement - United Nations 3rd Committee: Motion to adjourn debate on Situation of Human Rights in Belarus (21/11/2007)
• EU General Statement - United Nations 3rd Committee: Situation of Human Rights in Belarus and Human Rights situations and reports of Special Rapporteurs (21/11/2007)
• "The European Union and the World: A Hard Look at Soft Power" - Speech by EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner (24/9/2007)
• EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner speaks to EU Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee (11/9/2007)
• UN Human Rights Council - Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the EU on the outcome of the Institution Building Process  (21/6/2007)
• The European approach to democracy promotion in post-communist countries" - Speech by EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner (19/1/2007)