[ad_1]
Signs of violence
Maxim Milta, an associate analyst at the Center for Eastern European Studies (RESC), said he believed that psychological violence against detained Belarusian opposition activist Raman Pratasevic was not limited to psychological violence. According to him, certain signs indicate that the Belarusian journalist was forced to film a video in which he admitted to organizing anti-government protests.
“You can see the video, which was distributed by Belarusian propaganda; you can see that the makeup was an attempt to hide the places of the injuries. Raman’s nose is apparently broken, you see that there are problems with the teeth.
In general, depending on the way of speaking, the intonation, those who know Raman or have encountered him in public space know that he does not speak like that. And that pack of cigarettes. There are a number of small details that only show that this video and its content were made under conditions of coercion, ”said M. Milta on the Lietuvos Rytas Nauja Diena television program.
Furthermore, M. Milta does not rule out that pressure is being exerted using the situation of R. Pratasevičius’s longtime friend, Sofia Sapega, who is currently detained in the Okrestin detention center.
“It seems that you may feel threatened by the fact that Sofia can be dealt with in every possible way. It should be remembered that it takes place in the solitary confinement of Okrestin, an infamous place where people were mass tortured in August September, and Raman himself is being held in another solitary confinement facility in Minsk, ”said Milta.
The analyst considered that R. Pratasevičius would be accused of organizing riots in Belarus, but the question remains whether he will be accused of terrorism; in that case, he would face the death penalty.
“On this basis, it appears that Lukashenko, mainly through propaganda channels, will try to show the Western conspiracy against Lukashenko and thus further encourage repression against anyone who dares to speak out against the regime. This includes detained journalists, human rights defenders and various members of Belarusian society. There are more than 420 of those political prisoners at the moment, “he emphasized.
The pace of events accelerates
M. Milta stated that the resolution adopted by the Seimas on Tuesday shows Lithuania’s consistent position on the Belarus question. According to him, in response to the recent events in Belarus, Lithuania is showing leadership, but if the events in Belarus continue to develop at this rate, this may not be enough.
“Exactly a week ago, the largest news portal tut.by in Belarus was shut down, and one of the political prisoners in prison at the time was killed on Friday due to unclear circumstances. There was an incident on Sunday, spec. Operation with a Ryanair plane.
If we continue at the same pace, I don’t really know to what extent the coalition should come together, both through our efforts and from Poland, which is also actively involved in the question of freedom in Belarus. “The pace of events in Belarus appears to be accelerating very rapidly,” the analyst said.
“It is true that today (on Tuesday – aut.) Lukashenko’s speech on all relevant life topics is planned, as presented by his press service, and it is said that all points will be placed on the “i”. We will see what new version A. Lukashenko will present and what threat next.
Perhaps Belarus will be completely closed and that internal occupation of the country, as the Belarusians call it themselves, will be even stronger and more severe. Then, of course, it will be necessary to find new ways to help Belarusian civil society in the new conditions, “he added.
V. Isoda: no sanction will be too severe
Vytautas Isoda, associate professor and political scientist at the Lithuanian Military Academy (LKA), also claimed that what R. Pratasevičius said in the video was not expressed out of free will.
“It is clear that the Belarusian regime has been trying to intimidate the opposition in every way possible since the protests last year. Violence in the streets, prisons, detention centers and, whenever possible, persecution of dissidents. It was a Obvious slap in the face that you can’t feel safe anywhere, even in the air, even in open water, even abroad, “said V. Isoda during the show.
According to the political scientist, Lithuania managed to achieve a “minimum plan” in the European Council (EC): to turn Belarusian airspace into a no-fly zone, so that Belarusian airlines are unexpected at European airports.
“However, if we say that it is about war crimes, we would like an even stronger reaction, more serious sanctions. We do not have very strong economic ties with Belarus, but as a country that does not have direct access to the seas, to the oceans. It depends on the ports of Europe, and we can basically try to cross over here.
Now, no sanction will seem too severe, in my opinion, “assessed V. Isoda.
