Landsbergis: "Belarus is increasingly becoming like a prison, and until meaningful changes take place, any discussion of lifting sanctions is out of question"
On September 23, during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and his EU counterparts discussed the international community's efforts to secure the release of political prisoners in Belarus, as well as the necessity to respond to the unlawful behaviour of Lukashenka regime.
"Belarus is increasingly becoming like a prison, and until meaningful changes take place, any discussion of lifting sanctions is out of the question", Landsbergis stressed in New York.
During the event, the leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, presented the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus and urged the representatives of the international community to continue the policy of non-recognition of the Lukashenka regime. She also encouraged them to follow the example of Lithuania, calling it a "champion of democracy, which is protecting the Belarusian democratic forces from repressions of Lukashenka regime and is supporting us".
During the meeting, Minister Landsbergis stressed the importance of sanctions in ending authoritarian regimes' impunity.
"Whenever elections in Belarus are near, Lukashenka's regime creates the illusion of openness to cooperation with the West by releasing a few political prisoners. I hope this time we won't make the mistake of falling for this illusion, as hundreds of political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails and are held hostage by Lukashenka's regime. The dictator will once again attempt to trade some of them for the easing of sanctions and the end of isolation," emphasised Minister G. Landsbergis.
Photos: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office
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