Latoshka on judging Bokzobot: The West does not have a vision and strategy towards Belarus, Lukashenko does what he wants

Belarusian supreme court fell on Friday Andrzej Poczobut appealed and upheld the ruling of the Court of First Instance Eight years in a maximum security penal colony. The verdict has become final. The appeal hearing was held behind closed doors. Poczobut himself did not participate in it. The press service of the Supreme Court was informed of the rejection of the appeal.

Łatuszka said in an interview with PAP that the retention of the ruling against Poczobut is “a tragedy, unfortunately, to be expected”. – But in my opinion, this is also due to the West’s lack of vision and strategy towards it Belarus And Alyaksandr Lukashenko, which can be implemented from 2020. Now Lukashenka has additional military and political guarantees, he has nuclear weapons, he feels free to get away with it. And we know that you can only talk to dictators from a position of strength. This means that we need to increase the pressure that Western countries must do so, rather than showing indecision and indifference, assesses Łatuszka.

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According to the former diplomat “N Russia There is pressure all the time, Lukashenka has not been around for a year, there is a lack of determination and strategy. – The result is thousands of political prisoners, who are increasingly suffering from physical and mental devastation, and many more people who mysteriously disappear. Belarus: Even today, more people have been arrested in Lida. Lukashenka sees the West as weak and therefore pursues an anti-Western policy that suits the Kremlin’s interests. Latoshka stressed.

– What can be done to help political prisoners is to fight in the European Union forum to prepare a proactive strategy towards Belarus, assuming in terms of imposing sanctions, closing border crossings for Belarusian goods, and imposing an embargo on Belarus for having Russian tactical weapons. He said it’s not a joke.

Also read: Andrzej Poczobut spent his birthday in a Belarusian prison. “Sign of solidarity” from Polish journalists

According to Latoshka, criminal liability should also be brought before international courts for crimes committed in Belarus. He added that action was also needed by the European Union in the interest of Belarusian society to prevent “the dismantling of its identity and the breaking of resistance”. – Support is needed, but also the development of universities and cultural institutions, so that they can educate themselves and create a new elite in Belarus for the renewal of this country – the interlocutor told PAP.

– It’s terrible that the West did not respond – neither to tactical weapons in Belarus, nor to the fact that Belarusians are dying in prisons, nor to sentencing political prisoners to torture. And Lukashenko does whatever he wants, feeling unpunished. Because the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus means that we will have a larger group of Russian soldiers permanently, more military bases, and in the event of any crisis or attempts by Belarusians to change power, Russia will provide the army to pacify Belarus, he said. Latoshka.

– we shouted, begged, argued, warned, handed over documents; Nobody hears us. There are no new sanctions and probably won’t be soon. However, some countries like PortugalHe added that he is pushing for the easing and removal of sanctions, for example, the concern of Belaruskalig, which facilitates the commission of war crimes, such as the deportation of children to Belarus from Ukrainian lands occupied by Russian forces.

Belarusskalj mines and processes potash, and these are the main sources of foreign exchange thanks to which the Lukashenko regime can actively support Russian aggression against Ukraine. Meanwhile, attempts are being made in Brussels to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash, which is used in fertilizer production. Proponents of lifting sanctions point to the global food security argument. Many EU countries, including Poland, suggest that this is an excuse, because Belarusian potash has been replaced, among others, by potash from Canada, and global agricultural and fertilizer prices are falling.

– The hope for changes in Belarus, also when it comes to the situation of political prisoners like Andrei Bokzobot, is a renewal of European solidarity, a unified and tough stance towards the Belarusian regime and talking about the conditions of prisoners also in the south. Europe. We are counting on Poland, Lithuania and other countries that know how Russia works, that are already doing a lot for Belarus, and that they will take a joint initiative in the European Union to prepare an EU strategy towards the regime in Belarus. Without this, there is no hope for positive changes – Łatuszka, in short.

Ministers of Defense of Russia and Belarus, Sergey Shoigu Viktor Khrenin signed an agreement on Thursday to expedite the formal deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil.