TD hits out at violence towards protestors in Belarus

Brendan Smith (FF) says the actions in Belarus must be pursued by the European Union and condemned in the strongest possible terms.

A local TD has described the violence toward peaceful protestors and the media censorship in Belarus as “disturbing”.

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Brendan Smith, says the actions in Belarus must be pursued by the European Union and condemned in the strongest possible terms.

“The scenes we have witnessed in Belarus following their Presidential Election this past Sunday are disturbing. The right to protest peacefully is something we should never take for granted,” said Deputy Smith, who welcomed the comments from the Minister for Foreign Affairs that the Irish Government is monitoring the situation and described the scenes as being “of deep concern”.

Deputy Smith stated: “The citizens of Belarus deserve to have their say in a fair and transparent democratic process. The European Union, along with international colleagues, should continue to use every means possible to pursue a democratic, transparent and thriving Belarus.”