House of Commons: Attend Mr Sannikau's Talk on Belarus 16 April

[Mikalaj Packajeu]

Dear All,

 

I forward below an invitation to attend a talk by Mr Sannikau on April 16, 2013. It's open to the public but please note you need to have your name on the list, by confirming to the e-mail address specified. It is advisable to have some form of ID and to allow time for the Parliament building security.

 

Best regards,

Mikalaj Packajeu

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 ‘Prospects for Belarus:

Bringing down the Last Dictatorship in Europe’

SPEAKER: Andrei Sannikov, Belarusian Politician and Activist

TIME: 6 – 7pm, Tuesday 16^th April 2013

VENUE: Committee Room 6, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

To attend please RSVP to: eventsas...@henryjacksonsociety.org

Described by the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as “the last true dictatorship in the heart of Europe,” the Republic of Belarus has experienced autocratic rule since former KGB border guard and pig farm manager Alexander Lukashenko’s rise to power in 1994. The regime that could not exist without significant support from Moscow relies on a culture of fear and repression. According to some estimates, in 2010 to 2012 alone, more than two thousand people were detained for ‘opposition activities,’ and many of these were often subjected to Belarus’ brutal prison establishment and caste hierarchy. At the same time, there is evidence to show that Belarus is an active player in weapons trade to rogue states across the world, thus not only engaging in domestic repression but undermining political stability abroad.

With Lukashenko staunchly flying the flag for authoritarian regime in Eastern Europe, can there be a fair and democratic future for the Belarusian people? What prospects are there for the opposition in Belarus? What would be the most effective course of action for the rest of Europe? What to make of the claims that despite failing to live up to even the most modest standards for legitimate political leadership in the eyes of the West, Lukashenko enjoys the support of the Belarusian people?

By kind invitation of John Whittingdale MP, the Henry Jackson Society is pleased to invite you to a meeting with Andrei Sannikov, Belarusian politician and activist. Drawing on his personal experience of brutal political repression in Belarus, Mr Sannikov, who has led the opposition against Alexander Lukashenko’s regime for many years, will discuss his life as a dissident and the prospects for the country that is regarded as the last dictatorship in Europe. He will give his view on the possible scenarios for opposition in Belarus, analyse the current European Union policies towards Belarus, and assess the effectiveness of these in bringing about a change in the country’s political course.

Biography

Andrei Sannikov is a Belarusian politician and activist campaigning for the interests of a democratic Belarus. He is Coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign.

Born in 1954 in Minsk, Mr. Sannikov served as Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus in 1995-96 before resigning in protest against the country’s hardline president, Alexander Lukashenko. In 1997 Mr. Sannikov co-founded the civil initiative Charter’97, a pro-human rights news site declaring support for democracy in Belarus.

Mr. Sannikov was a candidate at the 2010 presidential elections in Belarus, and had the second highest percentage of the popular vote. However, he was incarcerated in a Minsk KGB facility following the elections for peacefully protesting at a demonstration. Mr. Sannikov was recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, but on 14 May 2011 he was nevertheless sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the Belarusian regime. Following his early release on 14 April 2012 Mr. Sannikov sought political asylum in the UK and was granted it in October 2012.

Mr. Sannikov was awarded the Bruno Kreisky Prize in 2005 in the field of human rights protection and has a rank of Ambassador. He continues to campaign for the interests of a democratic Belarus.

About the Russia Studies Centre

The Russia Studies Centre is a research and advocacy unit operating within the Henry Jackson Society. It is dedicated to analysing contemporary Russian political developments and promoting human rights and political liberty in the Russian Federation.

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