We condemn the latest seizures of U.S. government equipment by Belarus, call on the Belarusian regime to honor their international obligations, and return the wrongfully seized equipment to us immediately.
On July 12, a squad of militia officers in the town of Krichev seized equipment owned by the U.S. government and leased to the independent newspaper "Volny Gorad". On the same day, militia officers seized U.S. computer equipment leased by the Embassy Democracy Commission to a Resource Center. This week, the Belarusian government confirmed that the equipment was seized under the terms of Decree No. 8, imposed by the regime to limit foreign assistance to the democratic opposition. This decree has been denounced by the international community as have many other actions taken by the regime that impede the prospect for free and fair presidential elections on September 9.
All U.S. government assistance to Belarus falls under the 1996 U.S. Belarus bilateral assistance agreement. These seizures contradict the Belarusian government's assurances that U.S. assistance under the bilateral agreement is exempt from Decree No. 8. Moreover, under the bilateral assistance agreement, U.S. assistance may be used only for the purposes of assistance. The Belarusian authorities therefore have a duty either to return the equipment to its intended recipients, or to the U.S. -- and, failing that, they are obligated to refund its value in dollars. It appears that the Belarusian authorities continue to show the same contempt for their international obligations they displayed in seizing ambassadorial residences in Drozdy in 1998, in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
We call upon Belarus to take immediate steps to create conditions for free and fair elections on September 9, based on international standards. Only by doing so will Belarus win the respect of the international community, improve relations with the United States and end its self imposed isolation.
(Press Statement by Richard Boucher
U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
August 3, 2001)