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EU adds by mistake deceased Belarusian official to its blacklist

The European Union placed by mistake a deceased official, Mikhail Pishchulyonak, on its list of 157 Belarusians subject to the bloc’s restrictive measures for their role in “the violations of international electoral standards” in the December 14-19 presidential election and the ongoing post-election crackdown on civil society and pro-democratic supporters.

Mr. Pishchulyonak, head of the Vitsyebsk Regional Executive Committee’s public records department, died in August 2008.

Mr. Pishchulyonak, who chaired the Vitsyebsk territorial election commission in the March 2006 presidential election, was entered on the EU’s blacklist, along with some 40 other officials, following the vote that was condemned by international observers as flawed. The restrictive measures against the people were suspended in 2008. On January 31, the EU renewed them and added 117 new individuals to its blacklist.

In an interview with BelaPAN, Mikalay Lazavik, secretary of the central election commission, criticized the EU.

“Mr. Pishchulyonak was appointed to chair the local election commission because he was politically unbiased and knew laws well,” said Mr. Lazavik, who is also on the blacklist. “He did not exercise some great influence on the political situation but still was entered on the EU’s travel ban list following the election.”

“It is apparent that EU officials just did not know well whom exactly they added to the list or their role in the situation in the country when taking the serious decision restricting the people’s rights and freedoms,” Mr. Lazavik said. “Perhaps, they just did not care. Their objective was to punish what they call the regime.”

Mr. Lazavik said that EU officials should better mind their own business “instead of interfering with the affairs of another state of which they have only a vague idea.”