For the first time in the many years of Brussels Forum existence Belarusian issue has been among the key themes and was returned to throughout the forum.

It was Andrei Sannikov, the coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign, who represented Belarus for the recent years at the prestigious Brussels Forum gathering the world’s political and economic elite. But the Belarusian presidential candidate, now considered a political prisoner, has been in the KGB jail for more than three months.

Due to the arrest of Andrei Sannikov, Belarus was represented by his sister Iryna Bahdanava, the initiator of legal prosecution of Lukashenka; head of the Belarus Free Theatre Natallia Kaliada; head of We Remember foundation Iryna Krasovskaya; and prominent British playwright Tom Stoppard. Oscar winner Sir Tom Stoppard, founder of the Belarus Free Theatre and Iryna Bahdanava initiated the campaign “Free Belarus Now!”

As charter97.org has already reported, a debate “Have the Western policies failed North Africa and the Middle East?”, broadcasted by BBC World, was held on the first day of the Forum. Baroness Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President, European Commission, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who had initiated hearing on Belarus in the US Senate, and Nabil Fahmy, a former Egyptian Ambassador to the USA, took part in the discussion.

The whole world was watching the debate on BBC World, when the director of the Belarus Free Theatre, Natalia Kaliada, asked “Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka is selling weapons to Libya, and Gaddafi is killing civilians, French and American soldiers. Lukashenka has launched mass repression in Belarus and arrested opposition leaders. It’s time to give an answer to the question: Did West’s policy towards Belarus fail?”

Catherine Ashton and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said they continued pressing on the Belarusian authorities and would not stop until all political prisoners were released.

The second day of the Brussels Forum was opened by Tom Stoppard followed by European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek. The speech by Tom Stoppard was a little change in the forum format, which earlier was a stage only for heads of state, diplomats, bankers, and analysts. He spoke about a shift of moral standards in modern society. According to Stoppard, it’s a shame what is going on in Belarus, in the centre of Europe. Belarus is a member of the European family. If a family member is in trouble, the rest should not shut eyes on this, but should save him, the British playwright thinks.

Tom Stopaprd’s words raised a hot discussion. As said by many Forum participants, his speech was returning of humanism to politics which seems to have been lost long ago.

The day ended with a hard discussion held by members of the Belarusian delegation, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, and European Commissioner Štefan Füle. Belarusian asked the European politicians why in spite of the large-scale repressions economic sanctions had not still been imposed on the regime of Lukashenka.

The discussion became a platform for the closing session on Belarus “Belarus’ Nightmare Election and the Western Response”.

Iryna Bahdanava, Andrei Sannikov’s sister and initiator of legal prosecution of Lukashenka; David Kramer, Freedom House’s executive director; Miroslav Lajcák, Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia, European External Action Service; and Darius Semaška, Lithuanian President’s Chief Advisor on Foreign Policy. Pavol Demeš, Senior Transatlantic Fellow, German Marshal Fund of the United States, was the moderator of the session.

When Darius Semaška said Belarusian needed to be patient now, Iryna Bahdanava replied it’s impossible to tolerate 17 years of dictatorship.

Iryna Bahdanava noted she didn’t know what personal story she should tell in the beginning. It could be a story of her brother, a Belarusian presidential candidate, beaten up during a peaceful demonstration, and thrown to jail with injured leg.

Or it could be a story of her sister-in-law, journalist Iryna Khalip, who is under house arrest and under 24-hour surveillance of KGB officers. Or her nephew, 3-year-old Danik, who lives with his mother under house arrest and doesn’t see his father. Or it could be a story of her mother, 78, whose life is 104 steps to the jail, where he son is kept, and a way home with the broken heart.

There will be no patience. “If the politicians keep silence, then we will act,” Iryna Bahdanava said and underlined that families of Belarusian political prisoners did not receive aid from Europe, though this theme was talked about so much.

Iryna Bahdanava, Natallia Kaliada and Iryna Krasovskaya raised sharp questions at the meetings with President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, President of the World Bank Robert B. Zoellick, and other high-ranking politicians. It was arranged to meet with the President of the World Bank in the USA in April.

Craig Kennedy, President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and organizer of the Forum, expressed his support to all Belarusian political prisoners and asked to find ways to tell Andrei Sannikov that people remember him, struggle for him and that he would surely speak at the Brussels Forum next year.

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