EU criticizes Belarusian decision to expand Statkevich's punishment
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 6 May 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, EU criticizes Belarusian decision to expand Statkevich's punishment, 6 May 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5565ba7d32.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 06, 2015
By RFE/RL
Mikalay Statkevich in a Minsk courtroom in 2011
The office of the European Union's foreign policy chief has criticized a decision by a Belarusian court to add further punishments to a sentence against opposition politician Mikalay Statkevich.
Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for the European External Action Service, said on May 6 that the decision to transfer Statkevich to a cell-type prison for allegedly violating prisoner rules was "deplorable."
Kocijancic described Statkevich as a "political prisoner in Belarus" and said he has suffered "unacceptable treatment" since his arrest in December 2010.
Kocijancic also said "the importance of releasing all political prisoners remains crucial in the context of improving EU-Belarus relations."
Statkevich was found guilty of "organizing mass disturbances" following authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's reelection in December 2010.
Statkevich, representing the Belarusian Social Democratic Party, finished with just over 1 percent of the vote in the 2010 poll.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
