Stop Supporting the Last Dictator of Europe

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation
S. V. Lavrov
February 18, 2006, Moscow

Dear Mister Minister,

We have gathered on Smolenskaya Square on this day in order to express and bring your attention to our opinion on an extraordinarily important issue of Russia's foreign policy.

An authoritarian regime based on personal unreserved power of President Aleksandr Lukashenko has been developing in the neighbouring sister country Belarus. Independent mass media, political opposition, and any dissent are being persecuted. Elections to the legislative and executive branches of government and referendums are conducted with egregious violations and open unpunished falsifications of the results. Many democratic public organizations and associations are persecuted and banned. Human rights lawyer, journalists, and common citizens who disagree with the imposed Lukashenko's authoritarian regime are constantly being oppressed. All of this hinders the forming of the modern civil society in Belarus. The most recent amendments to Belarusian codes of law provide for criminal prosecution for criticism of the regime. These facts are incompatible with the notion of a democratic country. This has been reflected and condemned in resolutions of such organizations as the UN, the OSCE, and the PACE, to which Russian Federation belongs.

Nevertheless, Russia remains perhaps the only country in Europe that shuts its eyes on this and perforce connives at Lukashenko's dictatorial regime. Russia is not Lukashenko's last remaining political ally, but it also is his regime's direct economical sponsor providing dictatorial Belarus with multimillion credits, cheap energy sources virtually becoming an international advocate and hostage for the last dictator of Europe. In addition, Russian government puts up with sabotage by Lukashenko's regime to execute bilateral agreements and with repeated violations of the rights of Russian citizens and businesses in Belarus.

Such foreign policy does not only hurt Russian reputation in the world. It also hinders constructive development of Belarusian-Russian relations and strengthening of sincere friendly feelings between our peoples.

An end must be put to this!

We understand and share Russian government's concerns with the situation in Belarus. We ask you render proper assistance to democratic reforms in this country. Based on the above-stated, we address the government of the Russian Federation with an appeal:

• To stop supporting Lukashenko's regime that violates constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens of Republic of Belarus

• To take all appropriate measures to assist free and transparent presidential elections in Belarus 2006 and to refuse to recognize the results of the elections if they are falsified

• To remove from the agenda the issue of the creation of a "Union State" between Russia and Belarus that has become a marked card in political games of the current Belarusian leader. No negotiations are possible until an illegitimate dictatorial regime not recognized by the world community and not responsible to the Belarusian people represents the Belarusian side.

Belarusian freedom is the fraternal duty of Russia!

Yours faithfully,

Participants of the picket
Citizens of Russia and Belarus

Ìèíèñòðó èíîñòðàííûõ äåë Ðîññèéñêîé Ôåäåðàöèè
Ëàâðîâó Ñ.Â.
Ìîñêâà, 18 ôåâðàëÿ 2006 ã.

Óâàæàåìûé ãîñïîäèí ìèíèñòð,

Ìû ñîáðàëèñü íà Ñìîëåíñêîé ïëîùàäè â ýòîò äåíü, ÷òîáû âûðàçèòü è äîâåñòè äî Âàøåãî ñâåäåíèÿ ñâî¸ ìíåíèå ïî ïðîáëåìå, ÷ðåçâû÷àéíî àêòóàëüíîé äëÿ âíåøíåé ïîëèòèêè Ðîññèè.

 ñîñåäíåé áðàòñêîé Áåëàðóñè íà ïðîòÿæåíèè ïîñëåäíèõ äâåíàäöàòè ëåò ñîçäà¸òñÿ àâòîðèòàðíûé ðåæèì, îñíîâàííûé íà ëè÷íîé, íèêîìó íå ïîäêîíòðîëüíîé âëàñòè ïðåçèäåíòà À.Ã. Ëóêàøåíêî. Íåçàâèñèìûå ÑÌÈ, ïîëèòè÷åñêàÿ îïïîçèöèÿ è âñÿêîå èíàêîìûñëèå ïîäâåðãàþòñÿ ðåïðåññèÿì. Âûáîðû â ïðåäñòàâèòåëüíûå è èñïîëíèòåëüíûå îðãàíû âëàñòè, ðåôåðåíäóìû ïðîâîäÿòñÿ ñ ãðóáåéøèìè íàðóøåíèÿìè è ïðÿìîé, áåçíàêàçàííîé ôàëüñèôèêàöèåé ðåçóëüòàòîâ ãîëîñîâàíèé. Ïðåñëåäóþòñÿ è çàïðåùàþòñÿ ìíîãèå îáùåñòâåííûå äåìîêðàòè÷åñêèå îðãàíèçàöèè è îáúåäèíåíèÿ, íå ïðåêðàùàþòñÿ ãîíåíèÿ íà ïðàâîçàùèòíèêîâ, æóðíàëèñòîâ è ïðîñòî ãðàæäàí, íå ñîãëàñíûõ ñ íàñàæäàåìûì àâòîðèòàðíûì ðåæèìîì Ëóêàøåíêî. Âñ¸ ýòî ïðåïÿòñòâóåò ôîðìèðîâàíèþ ñîâðåìåííîãî ãðàæäàíñêîãî îáùåñòâà â Áåëàðóñè. Íîâåéøèå ïîïðàâêè â áåëîðóññêîì çàêîíîäàòåëüñòâå ïðåäóñìàòðèâàþò óãîëîâíîå íàêàçàíèå çà êðèòèêó ñóùåñòâóþùåãî ðåæèìà. Âñå ýòè ôàêòû, íåñîâìåñòèìûå ñ ïîíÿòèåì äåìîêðàòè÷åñêîãî ãîñóäàðñòâà, íàøëè ñâî¸ îòðàæåíèå è îñóæäåíèå â ðåçîëþöèÿõ ÎÎÍ, ÎÁÑÅ, ÏÀÑÅ – ìåæäóíàðîäíûõ îðãàíèçàöèé, ÷ëåíîì êîòîðûõ ÿâëÿåòñÿ è Ðîññèéñêàÿ Ôåäåðàöèÿ.

Òåì íå ìåíåå, Ðîññèÿ îñòà¸òñÿ åäâà ëè íå åäèíñòâåííûì èç ãîñóäàðñòâ Åâðîïû, êîòîðîå çàêðûâàåò ãëàçà íà ýòî è âîëåé-íåâîëåé ïîòâîðñòâóåò äèêòàòîðñêîìó ðåæèìó À. Ëóêàøåíêî. Ðîññèÿ âûñòóïàåò íå òîëüêî ïîñëåäíèì ïîëèòè÷åñêèì ñîþçíèêîì Ëóêàøåíêî, íî íåïîñðåäñòâåííûì ýêîíîìè÷åñêèì ñïîíñîðîì åãî ðåæèìà, äàâàÿ äèêòàòîðñêîé Áåëàðóñè ìèëëèîííûå êðåäèòû, äåø¸âûå ýíåðãîíîñèòåëè è ôàêòè÷åñêè ïðåâðàùàÿñü â ìåæäóíàðîäíîãî àäâîêàòà è çàëîæíèêà ïîñëåäíåãî äèêòàòîðà Åâðîïû. Ïîìèìî ýòîãî, ðîññèéñêîå ðóêîâîäñòâî ïðîäîëæàåò òåðïåòü ñàáîòàæ ðåæèìîì Ëóêàøåíêî âûïîëíåíèÿ ïîäïèñàííûõ äâóñòîðîííèõ ñîãëàøåíèé, ìíîãîêðàòíûå íàðóøåíèÿ ïðàâ ðîññèéñêèõ ãðàæäàí è ïðåäïðèÿòèé â Áåëàðóñè.

Ïîäîáíàÿ ïîëèòèêà íå òîëüêî âðåäèò ðåïóòàöèè Ðîññèè â ìèðå, íî è ñîçäà¸ò ïðåïÿòñòâèÿ äëÿ êîíñòðóêòèâíîãî ðàçâèòèÿ áåëîðóññêî-ðîññèéñêèõ îòíîøåíèé, äëÿ óêðåïëåíèÿ èñêðåííèõ äðóæåñêèõ ÷óâñòâ ìåæäó íàøèìè íàðîäàìè.

Ýòîìó äîëæåí áûòü ïîëîæåí êîíåö!

Ïîíèìàÿ è ðàçäåëÿÿ îçàáî÷åííîñòü ðîññèéñêîãî ðóêîâîäñòâà ñèòóàöèåé â Áåëàðóñè, ìû ïðîñèì Âàñ îêàçàòü äîëæíîå ñîäåéñòâèå äåìîêðàòè÷åñêèì ïðåîáðàçîâàíèÿì â ýòîé ñòðàíå. Èñõîäÿ èç âûøåèçëîæåííîãî, ìû îáðàùàåìñÿ ê ðóêîâîäñòâó Ðîññèéñêîé Ôåäåðàöèè ñ ïðèçûâîì:

• Ïðåêðàòèòü ïîääåðæêó ðåæèìà Ëóêàøåíêî, ïîïèðàþùåãî êîíñòèòóöèîííûå ïðàâà è ñâîáîäû ãðàæäàí Ðåñïóáëèêè Áåëàðóñü

• Ïðèíÿòü âñå âîçìîæíûå ìåðû ïî ñîäåéñòâèþ ñâîáîäíûì è ïðîçðà÷íûì ïðåçèäåíòñêèì âûáîðàì â Áåëàðóñè â 2006 ãîäó, èñêëþ÷èâ ïðèçíàíèå ðåçóëüòàòîâ âûáîðîâ ïðè èõ ôàëüñèôèêàöèè

• Ñíÿòü ñ ïîâåñòêè äíÿ âîïðîñ î ñîçäàíèè «Ñîþçíîãî ãîñóäàðñòâà» Ðîññèè è Áåëàðóñè, êîòîðûé â äåéñòâèÿõ íûíåøíåãî áåëîðóññêîãî ðóêîâîäèòåëÿ ñòàë êðåïë¸íîé êàðòîé â åãî ïîëèòè÷åñêèõ èãðàõ. Íå ìîæåò áûòü íèêàêèõ ðàçãîâîðîâ îá îáúåäèíåíèè, ïîêà áåëîðóññêóþ ñòîðîíó ïðåäñòàâëÿåò íåëåãèòèìíûé äèêòàòîðñêèé ðåæèì, íå ïðèçíàâàåìûé ìèðîâûì ñîîáùåñòâîì è íå ïîä÷èíÿþùèéñÿ âîëå áåëîðóññêîãî íàðîäà.

Ñâîáîäà Áåëàðóñè – áðàòñêèé äîëã Ðîññèè!

Ñ óâàæåíèåì,

ó÷àñòíèêè ïèêåòà
ãðàæäàíå Ðîññèè è Áåëàðóñè