BRUSSELS/LONDON, August 29. /TASS/: EU, US, UK, and Switzerland urge Belarusian authorities to observe their international obligations, particularly those in the sphere of human rights, the joint statement by the missions of the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the European Union on behalf of the EU Member States published on the British government website said.
"We call on the Belarusian authorities to respect the country’s international obligations on fundamental democratic and human rights," the statement said. The countries also urged to investigate crimes and abuses committed during protest rallies and "hold those responsible to account."
Additionally, Brussels, Washington, London, and Bern declared "solidarity with the people of Belarus who demand respect for fundamental freedoms and basic human rights through free and fair elections" and "are struck by the continued peaceful demonstrations across Belarus." "They show the determination and courage of the Belarusian people to seek democratic change," these countries assert.
The statement also contains the call for Belarusian authorities "to stop the violence and the threats to use military force against the country’s own citizens" and the demand to "release immediately and unconditionally all those unlawfully detained."
Earlier a similar statement was made public by the diplomatic missions of these countries in Minsk.
The presidential election in Belarus was held on August 9. According to the final results of the Central Election Committee, incumbent president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko got 80.1% of the vote. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya who was considered his main opponent, was second with 10.12%. Immediately after exit poll results were announced, mass protest rallies erupted in the country of those disagreeing with the election results. In the early days these rallies were accompanied by clashes between protesters and law enforcement forces. According to the republic’s Interior Ministry, over six thousand people were detained in the first days of the protests, dozens of policemen and protesters were injured.
