Ex-political prisoner urges EU partners not to turn back on Belarus democratic forces

The Belarusian authorities are only trading talks about reforms, they are not changing anything in the country, Mikalai Statkevich, a former political prisoner and the head of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Narodnaya Hramada, said at the consultations of representatives of the Belarusian opposition groups and members of the Lithuanian Seimas on November 11 in Vilnius.

“The removal of sanctions, meetings with Alyaksandr Lukashenka – in spite of our opposing, our European partners keep taking such steps. Even if your economic interests in cooperation with the Belarusian authorities is big, do not prevent us from defending the country. When they do away with us, they can come after you,” Statkevich warned.

According to the ex-political prisoner, a puppet regime was esteblished in Belarus which is actually a Russian branch. in turn, the Belarusian economy is a loss-making branch of the Russian economy, he believes.

“When Russia became poorer, Lukashenka’s parasite integration scheme failed. Now Russia wants more control over our sovereignty in exchange for its financial assistance.”

In his opinion, the Belarusian authorities’ response to the economic crisis is not reforms, but just talking about them. “They are only selling these talks to the West, they are not going to change anything in the country,” Statkevich said.

“Lukashenka appointed two representatives of independent organizations to the parliament. He did so just to have the sanctions lifted,” the politician stated.

The Belarusian regime has done nothing to counter the Russian threat, Mikalai Statkevich stressed. In his view, only civil society is able to defend the country.

Belsat.eu, following naviny.by