Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is deeply concerned about the ongoing trials against the participants of events in Belarus on December 19, 2010, including the ruling of Minsk court on May 14 sentencing Andrei Sannikov, one of the candidates in the Belarusian presidential elections.
Mr. Sannikov was sentenced to five years in prison for alleged organization of post-election protests.
Freedom of assembly is one of the basic democratic rights, and the imprisonment of individuals contradicts the OSCE commitments of basic human rights and freedoms.
The Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship has repeatedly urged the Belarusian authorities to cease political harassment of Belarusian opposition, media and civil society, engage in dialogue with the international community and implement the OSCE commitments.
Representatives of OSCE/ODIHR and diplomatic community monitor the trials of participants of December 19 demonstrations.
The report of the trials monitoring by the ODIHR will be presented to the OSCE Participating States for their consideration.
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