Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on February 3 that Moscow would not shut its eyes to violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms by the Belarusian authorities. Though the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that "Belarus is our brotherly country, a strategic partner."
«We’re not going to be guided by double standards, it is necessary to respect the rights and freedoms in Russia itself,» said Sergei Lavrov, adding that «there are certain standards, obligations for us to observe,» RIA Novosti news agency.
In addition, the Russian Minister considered some Russians and ex-candidates’ arrests in Belarus in the aftermath of December 19 as unacceptable; two of the Russian citizens are still in custody. «We’re trying to get more clarity from Belarusian colleagues,» said Russia’s Foreign Minister.
The Belarusian authorities are expected to announce final charges against the two Russians, accused of the riots in Minsk after the presidential elections in December, on February 3.
As Telegraf previously reported, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev showed dissatisfaction with the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on the EU and U.S. sanctions against Belarus at the Council on Civil Society and Human Rights, held in Ekaterinburg on February 1.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on February 2 that Russia considered the mass arrests that followed the presidential elections in Belarus as unacceptable. Nevertheless, according to the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia does not support the EU’s decision to impose sanctions on Belarus.
