Reacting to the news that a Belarus court has sentenced the country’s main opposition leader, Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years’ jail in absentia, Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir made the following statement:
“I fully condemn the sentencing by a court in Minsk of the leader of Belarusian opposition, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and other leading opposition figures, also in absentia, to lengthy prison terms. The charges brought against them are entirely politically motivated. These sentences and the ongoing persecution of Belarusians who fight for democracy and freedom is deplorable. The Council of Europe is working closely with Ms Tsikhanouskaya, including in the context of the Contact Group on cooperation with representatives of Belarusian democratic forces and civil society, and will continue to stand firm in its support for the Belarusian democratic society in line with the core values of our Organisation.”
