Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on sentencing of the members of the Belarusian NGO "Partnership"

Press release 288/2006
11 August, 2006

The European Union is deeply concerned about the sentencing of four members of the Belarusian NGO "Partnership", Mr Timofei Dranchuk, Mr Aleksandr Shalaiko, Mr Nikolai Astreiko, and Mrs Enira Bronitskaya, from six months to two years imprisonment on August 4, 2006.

The European Union notes with regret that the Belarusian authorities continue to intimidate civil society activists and to demonstrate unwillingness to respect international standards in democracy and human rights. The sentencing of the members of  "Partnership" and the previous trial of Mr Aleksandr Kozulin clearly indicate further erosion of the democratic process in Belarus.

The European Union reiterates its demand on the Belarusian authorities to immediately release and rehabilitate the four members of the NGO "Partnership", Mr Aleksandr Kozulin as well as all other political prisoners.

The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.