SLOVAKIA CONDEMNS MILITIA ACTION AGAINST

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000235 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM SOCI BO LO SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA CONDEMNS MILITIA ACTION AGAINST BELARUSIAN PROTESTERS ¶1. Slovakia released the following statement condemning the attack on and arrest of Belarusian protesters on March 24. The original statement can be found in Slovak at www.mzv.sk . BEGIN UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic condemns the attack of units of the emergency services and militia in Belarus, which attacked and detained members of the tent city on October square in Minsk, whose peaceful protest was a demonstration against the announced results of the presidential election which did not meet international standards. The prosecution of people with other opinions for their peaceful expressions of dissatisfaction with government policies we consider unacceptable and repeat our appeal to the state organs of the Belarusian Republic to stop reprisals against activists and campaign staffs of Presidential candidates Aleksandr Kozulin and Aleksandr Milinkevic and to release all those detained and imprisoned who were sentenced for political reasons. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic expresses its opinion that only by returning to policies that respect international standards of democracy and respect for basic civic and human rights may Belarus regain its place in the community of democratic states. END UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION. VALLEE