Syrian opposition calls on UK to sanction Lukashenka's regime for supporting Assad
Today, a London-based human rights
organization 'Syrians in the UK' sent a letter to members of the British
Parliament requesting to take action against Belarus and a possibility of
'Europe's last dictatorship' to grant asylum to Bashar al-Assad. 'Syrians in the UK' asked MPs to consider increasing
sanctions against Belarus and warning UK and European companies against doing
business with state-owned Belarus companies.
Full text of the letter is below:
Dear members of the Joint Committee for Human Rights and members of Parliament:
We are convinced, that you, along with the rest of the world, are watching the
catastrophe unfold in Syria and the suffering it brings to non-combatants as a
result of the actions of Bashar Assad's regime which is holding on to power in
the country.
Syrians in the UK, an organization uniting British citizens born in or
otherwise connected to Syria, hereby expresses gratitude to the UK Government for
the actions it takes to stop genocide and murder of innocent civilians in
Syria. An all-out war is ongoing in Syria, with the rebels gaining the upper
hand. However, we are concerned that even if the resistance were to win,
dictator Bashar Assad may still escape a just trial and continue his war
against civilians. This is possible if he were to receive asylum in Belarus,
the last remaining dictatorship in Europe, led by Alexander Lukashenka. We are asking you to prevent this possibility.
Many military experts in Syria as well as in the UK see Belarus granting asylum
to Bashar Assad as a distinct possibility. In his interview for the Evening
Standard newspaper (of October 9, 2012), Lukashenka stated: "[Because of
the West's attack on Syria], the world will find out yet what is going to
happen, and you will all get yours." In this interview and in his multiple
public addresses, Mr. Lukashenka explicitly announced his support for his
"friend" Assad.
Syrians in the UK is asking you to look into this matter and share your
position on Assad receiving asylum in Belarus, and on the United Kingdom's
actions in case asylum is granted.
The United Kingdom has signed into law sanctions against
Belarus, where, just like in Syria, abuse of human rights and democratic principles
including the freedom of speech and free elections is rife. Despite the
sanctions, Lukashenka's regime not only continues systematic violations of
human rights, but also openly professes support for Assad's regime. We are
asking you to consider an escalation of sanctions against Belarus and other
countries offering support to the Bashar Assad's criminal regime and willing to
offer Assad asylum. We strongly feel that the United Kingdom and other EU
member states should block trade with Belarus companies whose revenues are used
to finance Lukashenka's regime, and, as a consequence, go to support Assad's
regime in Syria.
Even though trade sanctions against Belarus are in effect, the United Kingdom
is the 8th largest trade partner of Belarus with more than EUR 1.2 billion in
trade (as of 2010)#. In light of systematic human rights violations and to
avoid the danger of Assad receiving asylum in Belarus, we request not only to
step up the sanctions against Belarus, but also to warn British businesses and
nationals that, by engaging in trade with companies owned or controlled by the
state of Belarus, they are or would be supporting Lukashenka's dictatorship.
We believe that other EU member states which still trade with Belarus will
follow the United Kingdom's example.
