Delegations of Ukraine, UK, Baltic States to PACE condemn election violations, violence in Belarus, warn Russia against interference
The Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) with the support of the delegations of Great Britain, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania signed the "Belarusian Declaration," in which the past presidential elections in Belarus are called as not meeting international electoral standards and not reflecting the free will of the Belarusian people.
Member of Ukrainian delegation, deputy head of the Servant of the People faction Yevhenia Kravchuk posted the text of the Declaration on her Facbook page on Sunday saying that they condemn the use of violence against participants in peaceful assemblies in Minsk, Grodno, Gomel, Brest and other Belarusian cities; they call on the Belarusian authorities to immediately release all illegally detained participants in peaceful assemblies.
The signatories to the declaration also insist on the early commencement of a peaceful dialogue between all parties to the electoral process, welcome the conduct of an independent investigation into the misuse of force against participants in peaceful assemblies, and also express their readiness to facilitate dialogue between the participants in the electoral process and provide a platform for such negotiations.
The delegates warned the Russian Federation against interference in the internal affairs of Belarus.
According to Kravchuk, Ukraine, including the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, "is not an indifferent observer of the events taking place in neighboring Belarus."
"This document expresses our position and calls for a dialogue based on respect for human rights and freedoms ... The entire democratic world is rooting for a better future for the Belarusian people," she said.