Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton on the release of Belarusian former Presidential candidate Andrei Sannikaw

Brussels, 15 April 2012. Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, issued the following statement:
 
"I welcome the news that former Presidential candidate Andrei Sannikaw  as well as his main campaign aide Dzmitry Bandarenka are now free and will be able to rejoin their families and friends.

Read more:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/...

News of Belarus

President welcomes the release of Ales Bialiatski

Today, Ales Bialiatski, a prominent Belarusian human rights defender who became the first laureate of the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize in 2013, was released from prison after spending almost three years behind bars.

Commission Starts Negotiations of Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements with Belarus

Commission DG for Home Affairs, Stefano Manservisi and Belarus Deputy Foreign Minister Alena Kupchyna met in Brussels to launch the negotiations on Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements between the EU and Belarus. Since 2011 the Commission has been regularly reminding of its readiness to launch the negotiations.

The negotiations will focus on agreements to facilitate the procedures for issuing short-stay visas as well as the readmission of irregular migrants between the European Union and Belarus.

Political prisoner Ales Bialiatski could walk free

The political prisoner can be “pardoned” if “it is proved the damage he caused with the tax fraud has been repaid.”