Tánaiste welcomes release of Belarusian opposition leader and calls on Lukashenko to free others
15 April 2012The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore T.D., in his capacity as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), today said he was relieved that Belarusian opposition leader Andrei Sannikov has been released from custody under a presidential amnesty and called on President Aleksandr Lukashenko to free all remaining jailed opponents. The Tánaiste said:
“This is excellent news for Sannikov, his family and his friends, but I remain concerned over the fate of other jailed political opponents, notably former presidential candidate Nikolai Statkevich. I call upon President Lukashenko to build upon this positive development and release all remaining jailed opposition leaders”.
