President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko does not rule out the release of prisoners, who were convicted for the 19 December events. The relevant statement was made at a press conference for central and regional Belarusian mass media on 17 June.
Speaking about Belarus-Poland relations, Alexander Lukashenko stressed that Poland is a United States’ stronghold and air-base. “Barack Obama was not there accidentally. He discussed Belarusian and Ukrainian issues there. Nevertheless, we have been receiving a lot of signals about normalization our relations with Poland recently. The relations are normal on the level of common people. Belarusians are international people, and it is part of our brand. Here we have room for everybody,” he said.
“We are not to blame for strained relations with Poland. We are ready to dialog, but without humiliating demands. It is a matter of agreements not public statements such as, ‘Hey there, free the political prisoners’,” Lukashenko said.
He said that there are no political prisoners in Belarus as there is no such article in the Criminal Code. When the OSCE representatives said they wanted to monitor the 19 December trials, they had such an opportunity. All the trials were open.
“I have recently talked to an influential German, who said that there in Germany people believe we have 180 political prisoners here. We have only Sannikov, Us and Statkevich. Our fifth column misinforms them (the West). We have an independent judicial power. Why do they make me alter it?” said the Belarusian President.
Under the constitution the President has right to grant a pardon to a person according to certain procedures. A person should ask the President about the pardon. If such petition is submitted, it will be considered. “We are not blood-thirsty. We do not keep anybody in prison as a burden, to say nothing of political prisoners. We do not need them imprisoned, as it creates problems. But nobody needs them free either. Everybody saw their real image. One of them even attended that silent protest in Minsk,’ said the President.
“One should not think that Lukashenko keeps them in prison because they are his rivals. The rivalry is gone. Today nobody doubts the results of the presidential elections. They ran for president and voiced their programs. Then they violated the law and were made responsible for it. Time will come and they will be set free. It is too expensive and too honorable for them,’ said the President.
Alexander Lukashenko said if MPs or the journalist community submit such kind of petition, he will consider it. “Although representatives of the Belarusian Association of Journalists have not submitted any petitions so far. It is mere business for them,” he said.
