Verklaring Ashton over de veroordeling van ex-presidentkandidaten in Wit-Rusland (en)

Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, issued the following statement today:

"I deeply regret today's harsh sentences against the Belarusian ex-Presidential candidates Mikalay Statkevich and Dzmitry Uss. These politically motivated sentences are yet another step backwards as regards Belarus' respect for human rights, the rule of law and democratic principles.

I call upon Belarus to stop the ongoing crackdown on the political opposition, civil society and the independent media. I consider the presence of political prisoners in the heart of Europe in the 21st century unacceptable, and call for their immediate release and rehabilitation."