Czech Foreign Ministry call on Belarus to release political prisoners, end repression

On the anniversary of the contested presidential election in Belarus, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on Minsk to release all political prisoners, end repression and engage in dialogue with citizens.

In a statement on its website, the Ministry said that the Czech Republic and European Union had not recognised the official election results giving President Alexander Lukashenko another term in office.

The Ministry also said there are almost 600 political prisoners in Belarus, many of whom have already been sentenced to long prison sentences based on what it characterised as bogus charges or in show trials.

In that regard, the Czech Republic has supported several rounds of sanctions adopted by the EU Council to punish those responsible for violent repression and intimidation. The latest stems from the forced landing of a Ryanair plane and subsequent arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich.