Germany To Redirect Aid To Belarus' Exile Opposition As Civic Space Shrinks - Maas

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2021) Germany will review a 21 million euro ($24 million) action plan for Belarus's civil society it rolled out in February to focus on those in exile, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday.

Maas spoke at a conference on Belarus attended by members of the Belarusian opposition who fled westward after last year's presidential election saw Alexander Lukashenko elected for a sixth term in office.

"As supporting activities in Belarus has become increasingly impossible, we have to increase our work with those in exile. On a national level, Germany is therefore reviewing its 21 million euro 'Action Plan for the Belarusian Civil Society'," he said.

Maas said it was important to give Belarusian opposition a platform, seeing that space for Belarusian civil society inside the country has been shrinking, with hundreds allegedly arrested on politically motivated charges.

In the meantime, the European Union will keep up pressure on the Belarusian government, Maas promised. The EU has imposed four rounds of wide-ranging sanctions on Minsk and is working on a fresh package targeting judges, public prosecutors and security officials whom it deemed responsible for human rights violations.