Undemocratic election in Belarus deeply regrettable

“It is deeply regrettable that the presidential election in Belarus does not appear to have been free and democratic. I condemn the use of violence against demonstrators and the arrests of opposition leaders, journalists and civil society representatives,” commented Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

In their preliminary findings, international election observers point out that Sunday’s presidential election in Belarus fell far short of meeting international standards for free and democratic elections, despite the fact that parts of the election campaign have been freer than in the past.

“Belarus must fulfil its international obligations with regard to human rights and democracy. The brutal manner in which the protests following the election have been dealt with is totally unacceptable. The country’s authorities have a particular responsibility to make sure that presidential candidates can carry out their political activities without any risk to their personal safety. It is cause for great concern that a number of presidential candidates have reportedly been arrested. They must be released immediately,” Foreign Minister Støre said.

Among the many people who have been arrested following the protests are several of the Belarusian opposition’s presidential candidates, as well as journalists and civil society representatives.

“We would all like to see Belarus fully integrated into Europe. But if that is to happen, the country’s authorities must respect fundamental norms of human rights and democracy,” Mr Støre commented.