Liberal analyst tells EU to turn a blind eye on Belarus arrests

Politial analyst and Liberal Club head Yauhen Preiherman has called on the European Union not to succumb to emotions and turn a blind eye on mass arrests in Belarus. He published an article with the same title on Carnegie Europe.

Preiherman refers to the brutal dispersal of street protests widely documented by Belarusian and western media. He notes however that "the level of brutality shown by security forces is much lower than in the previous times." 

The commentator suggests that the EU should not give in to the calls for the renewal of sanctions against Belarus officials. In his view, European Union should think about reasonable expansion of contacts with the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, reports nn.by. 

Preiherman reminds about Lukashenka's character who cracks down on "potential political threats" under pressure. Without pressure he is prone to listening to alternative views. 

The analyst describes Belarusian opposition as "marginalized and stuck in internal rows". EU sanctions would lead to further marginalization of the idea of reforms. 

The Liberal Club head also reckons that Western sanctions boost the position of hawks within the regime, thus freezing civic activism and pushing civil society into a Ghetto. 

Preiherman maintains that sanctions do not lead to the release of political prisoners. In his view, there are no political prisoners in Belarus now. "In the past, the regime released political prisoners only as a result of negotiations with the West. Moreover, the ongoing dialogue and improved contacts helped to avoide a a bigger amount of criminal cases against opposition activists," he said.

Any attempts to punish the regime in Belarus for repressions will push the country closer to Russia, Preiherman writes.