Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

Moscow has been intently following the situation in Belarus and the international reaction to developments there, including those that took place on March 25, when Belarusian opposition leaders Alexander Milinkevich and Alexander Kozulin organized yet another unapproved rally in the center of Minsk. It is obvious that the opposition was trying to provoke the authorities to take tough action, and against this backdrop, trigger a new wave of criticism in the West regarding official Minsk.

The course of events has shown that Belarusian authorities, in a bid not to exacerbate the situation, did not hinder the rally until it bore a peaceful character. But conditions changed when among the protestors calls began to be heard for a forcible overthrow of lawful authority and a part of the demonstrators set off for a city branch office of the militia with aggressive intentions. To prevent illegal actions law enforcement bodies took measures to restore order that led to a forced detention of certain participants of this unapproved march.

Russians also turned out to be involved in the Minsk events. Some of them also were detained and subjected to administrative punishment. The embassy of Russia in Belarus is taking all necessary measures for their soonest release and return home.

As is known, the aggressive actions and the calls for violence and the seizure of administrative buildings were not supported by a considerable portion of the opposition. But anyway what happened in the Belarusian capital must receive an objective legal assessment. For it is not only a question of freedom of expression of political views, but also of the observance of law and order and the security of citizens.

On the other hand, what occurred in Minsk on March 25 was a failed attempt to repeat the opposition tactics during the presidential elections in certain other CIS countries. Again instead of a civilized acknowledgement of the rival's win, stakes were put on an artificial outburst of emotion on the streets, a bid for a choice of their own, rather than a choice of the people, and not at the voting urns, but outside the legal field.

It cannot cause doubt, the duty of any authority to defend constitutional order. It's unlikely that European countries would object to this either, including those where even larger-scale protest actions are often being conducted today. In the meantime, an angry, and far from always just criticism of the actions of the Belarusian authorities can be heard from there.

March 28, 2006