Belarus Feature: Europe Criticises, But Will It Make a Difference?

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe agreed on Wednesday to a statement about “the worrying developments that took place in Belarus following the Presidential elections held on 19 December 2010 [which] raise a number of questions". The Committee asked for "additional information on what basis the presidential candidates, journalists, and human rights activists were arrested in the wake of the elections", demanding their immediate release, and insisted, "Political freedoms should be fully respected.” 

The Committee warned that it "will continue supporting the establishment of closer relations between the Council of Europe and Belarus only on the basis of respect for European values and principles".

But will the statements matter?

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Belarus Updates: More Searches and Interrogations

More searches and interrogations: activists Vitali Omelkovich and Dennis Balakirev, who monitored the elections, student Hamutova Hleb, who had been detained for 12 days after the Election Day protest on 19 December, Klimko Anton, Olga Zhuravleva, and Valery Matskevitch and Nikolai Demidenko of the Youth Front.

Also questioned: Roman Gritsevich, a member of the "Right Alliance" and representative of Presidential candidate Nikolai Statkevich.

Pavel Vinogradov of the "Speak the Truth" campaign has been detained.

The chairman of the Youth Front, Zmitser Dashkevich, and the head of the Minsk community organizations, Eduardo Lobavu, have been charged with offences.

Dunja Mijatovic, a representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has urged the Belarussian authorities to end attacks on independent media and to releaseimprisoned journalists immediately.

Belarus Updates: More Raids and International Statements

1130 GMT: The heads of the diplomatic missions of European Union countries have sent a note to the Foreign Ministry expressing concern about the situation, asking for information about the health of detainees, and requesting meetings with the four Presidential candidates who are in prison.

Speaking at a press conference, the Hungarian Ambassador, Ferenc Kontra, said it was important to get the information before the EU discussion on 12 January about the situation in Belarus.

The EU ambassadors had met with the wives of the Presidential candidates and other political prisoners.

1115 GMT: Officers from the state security service KGB have raided the offices of the Belarus Helsinki Committee and are interrogating the head of the committee, Oleg Gulak.

The KGB is also reportedly looking for the leaders of the Belarus Free Theatre, which is currently on tour in New York.

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Belarus Updates: A Cancelled Press Conference and Possible Sanctions

2045 GMT: More searches and interrogations by the security services today: Anastasia Loiko of the human rights group Vyasna, Alexander Makayev of the Businessmen's Movement, human rights activist and journalist Vladimir Khilmanovich, and activists Andrei Presnyakov and Alexander Petkevich.

1725 GMT: Presidential candidate Vitaly Rymashevsky, who was released yesterday from detention but then cancelled a press conference to avoid re-arrest (see 0940 GMT), has given a cautious interview.

Rymashevsky said he had written President Lukashenko but it was not possible to reveal the contents of the letters. He added that his first priority was to secure the freedom of other detainees.

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Belarus Updates: OSCE Supervision Office Shut Down; Poland and Germany Make a Move

Belarussian authorities have shut down the local office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which was monitoring the Presidential election.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said, without referring to the election, that there were "no objective reasons for retaining" the OSCE's mission.

The OSCE had said that many counts in the balloting had been "very bad". The European Union had warned Belarus that billions in economic aid rested on a positive report by the OSCE on the vote. 

Meanwhile, the heads of the Polish and German Parlaiment's Foreign Affairs Committees have issued a joint declaration that the presidential elections in Belarus showed a “complete lack of respect for European values and standards".

The declaration appeals to other foreign ministers in the European Union to hold a meeting of the European Council to decide on a response.

The head of the Polish Foreign Affairs Committee, Andrzej Halicki, said  a meeting is planned with the head of the International Affairs Committee in the Russian Duma, Konstantin Kosachev.

Belarus Updates: The Latest Detentions

1435 GMT: Reports indicated five Presidential candidates --- Andrei Sannikov, Vladimir Neklyaev, Nikolai Statkevich, Vitaly Rymashevsky, and Alexei Mikhalevich have been charged with organizing activities which led to "riots" on Election Day on 19 December.

Under the order, the five men can be detained for two months while investigations continue.

The Guardian of London picks up on the story, reporting "at least four" candidates charged --- it does not list Mikhalevich.

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Belarus Updates: Detained Candidate Neklyaev Finally Sees His Lawyer

1124 GMT: Security Services have searched the home of the deputy chairman of the United Civil Party, Anatoly Lebedko.

Lebedko is in the KGB prison and is reportedly on hunger strike.

1120 GMT: On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., a court will hear complaints by lawyers for detainees held by the state security service KGB.

Meanwhile, Presidential candidate Vitaly Rymashevsky was interrogated on Monday, with his lawyer managing to meet with him for a second time.

0730 GMT: Presidential candidate Vladimir Neklayev, beaten in the Election Day demonstrations of 19 December and then taken by security forces from his hospital bed, was finally allowed a visit from his lawyer on Monday afternoon.

Neklyaev's morale was "good", according to his lawyer Tamara Sidorenko; however, she added that Neklyaev was complaining of headaches and high blood pressure and "his face remains a huge bruise". Sidorenko said the Government must charge or release her client by Thursday. 

Belarus Updates: How Many Thousands Protested on 19 December?

1330 GMT: Youth activists Volha Damaratskaya and Mikhail Matsevich have been sentenced to 10 days of imprisonment.

Police have searched the apartments of Vladimir Kobets, the detained head of Andrei Sannikov’s presidential campaign team, and of Mikita Krasnou, coordinator of the “Citizen” youth campaign.

1130 GMT: Two members of the Minsk Elections Commission have filed a dissenting opinion over the Presidential results, citing violations in the balloting.

0745 GMT: Activist Vera Lozovskaya has been summoned to the KGB for interrogation.

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Belarus Updates: Head of Air Force Arrested

1820 GMT: A second court hearing will be held on Monday for 11 Russian nationals among the more than 600 people detained after Sunday's protest in Minsk over the Belarussian Presidential election.

Many of those who took part in the protests have been sentenced to up to 15 days in prison. Russia has requested that its nationals be released.

On Wednesday, Belarusian authorities released press photographer Alexander Astafyev of St. Petersburg.

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Belarus Updates: Opposition Candidates Face 15 Years in Prison

2140 GMT: Writing in The New York Times, four Foreign Ministers --- Carl Bildt of Sweden, Guido Westerwelle of Germany, Karel Schwarzenberg of the Czech Republic, and Radek Sikorski of Poland --- have denounced the conduct of the Presidential election and suppression of protests. They continue with a call to suspend ties with President Lukashenko and to engage with the democratic opposition:

Continued positive engagement with Mr. Lukashenko at the moment seems to be a waste of time and money. He has made his choice — and it is a choice against everything the European Union stands for.

But there are many in Belarus who know that his clock is ticking — and are discreetly preparing for a better future.

Our many conversations with representatives of different parts of Belarus society have convinced us that the country wants to be part of a free and prosperous Europe. We must now deepen our engagement with the democrats of Belarus and those inside the government who disapprove of the fateful turn their country has taken. They must not be abandoned or betrayed as their country enters what might be a new dark era.

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