Norway joined the extended EU sanctions against Belarusian officials. "Events in Belarus still give cause for serious concern. Sentences upon the leading opposition politicians and other participants of the riots, followed by the presidential elections, are a step in the wrong direction," said Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stere.
«Recent prosecutions and convictions against Andrei Sannikov, as well as other members of the opposition and civil society, give cause for serious concern. I reiterate that Belarusian authorities should release all political detainees. I hope that the measures against the Belarusian authorities will be abolished as soon as possible but not expanded, which depends on the actions of the Belarusian authorities,» he stressed.
Belarus Officials should Draw Conclusions, German President
Meanwhile, the President of Germany Christian Wulff, speaking in Berlin on the 50th anniversary of international human rights organization Amnesty International, called unacceptable the human rights violations in Belarus. «But unfortunately there are systematic violations in Europe. Belarus is committing violations in an unacceptable manner before our eyes,» he said.
«Those representatives of the Belarusian court system, sentencing peaceful democratic opposition for political reasons, must draw conclusions,» said the German president.
«Those, violating basic human rights, are banned in the EU. Visa policy should make it clear that Europe will never be ready to accept them,» said Christian Wulff.
