Lithuania harms opposition in Belarus

The Lithuanian authorities have passed on the banking particulars of the Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialatski to Minsk, after which Bialatski was promptly arrested. The authorities' attitude is scandalous, writes the liberal daily Lietuvos Rytas: "By acting this way Lithuania has betrayed not only its solidarity with those who fight for democracy, but also its own values and ideals. We must ask: who is responsible for this action? Or has cooperation with a dictatorial regime now become the norm in Lithuania? The policy regarding Belarus has always had two sides. On the one hand there has always been public talk of support for democratic ideas in Belarus. On the other hand, however, mention is also made of 'pragmatic cooperation' with our neighbour. And that's not a new thing, either. Apparently we suffer from a chronic illness: it is no longer important to do the right thing. What's important is that the state acts according to the cold letters of some law or command."

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