EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, met with the Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov in Brussels. During the meeting, Vice-President of the European Commission stressed that the EU condemns the violent crackdown on demonstrators, numerous arrests and harassment of opposition members after the elections in Belarus.
«Catherine Ashton insisted on immediate release of all political detainees and the immediate cessation of persecution of the opposition, representatives of democratic forces and civil society,» the representation of the EU in Belarus told to Telegraf.
The High Representative reminded the Foreign Minister of Belarus that the EU was considering the adoption of appropriate measures in response to the elections’ aftermath, referring to the decisions to be adopted by the EU foreign ministers on January 31, 2011.
Besides Sergei Martynov, Catherine Ashton, met with leading representatives of the Belarusian opposition and civil society on January 12. The delegation included Eva Niakliaeva, daughter of the arrested ex-presidential candidate Vladimir Niakliaeu, Irina Bogdanova, sister of the arrested ex-presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, former candidate for the presidency in 2006 Alexander Milinkevich and Alexander Kozulin and former chairman of the Supreme Council Stanislav Shushkevich.
The High Representative expressed solidarity and support of the European Union to all those, detained after the presidential elections in Belarus on December 19, 2010 for political reasons, as well as to their families, the EU mission said.
