Ladies and gentlemen, as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe I have had numerous opportunities to participate in the monitoring of elections in many of the Member States of the Council of Europe, including the elections in Belarus three years ago as well as those which took place in the country last week, and I am therefore in a position to make comparisons.
Señor Presidente, no cabe duda de que en Belarús se violan los derechos humanos, que no se respetan las normas básicas democráticas y que se discrimina a las minorías, sobre todo a la minoría polaca.