Joint Statement of Nordic-Baltic Foreign Ministers on recent developments in Belarus

The Foreign Ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden, in the context of the developments that are taking place in Belarus, express their grave concern about the violence against post-election demonstrations that have occurred in response to reports of widespread electoral fraud. We are very troubled by the reports of physical injuries inflicted on the demonstrators.

The presidential elections, which took place in Belarus on 9th August 2020, did not comply with the international commitments of Belarus and globally recognized standards of democracy and rule of law, and they were not free and fair.

We urge the Belarusian authorities to stop persecution of political opponents, to release all those unfairly detained immediately and to respect human rights and freedoms. We call upon the Belarusian government to immediately engage in a genuine political dialogue with the opposition in order to avoid further use of violence.

We remain committed to the people of Belarus and will continue to closely follow developments.