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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">November 2, 2006 <i>(6:40 p.m. EST)</i><br>
No. 127</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">MINISTER MACKAY CONDEMNS SENTENCING OF BELARUSIAN
YOUTH ACTIVIST</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency, today issued the following statement condemning the
sentencing of Belarusian youth activist Zmicer Dashkevich:</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“The Canadian government notes with deep dismay the Belarusian government’s
continued disregard for human rights and democratic principles. The Belarusian judicial
system has once again handed down an unreasonably harsh sentence, this time to
youth activist Dmitry (Zmicer) Dashkevich for membership in an unregistered
organization. Mr. Dashkevich’s determination to join pro-democracy forces in Belarus is
a testament to the desire of young Belarusians to live in a free and fair society.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“The closed trial is further indication of the Lukashenko regime’s fundamental disregard
for the basic principles of due process and the respect of human rights. Repeated calls
from the international community to allow observation of the trial and access to the
accused were all denied. I call on the Belarusian authorities to honour their
commitments to fundamental human rights and basic norms of justice.”</span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">- 30 -</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada<br>
613-995-1874<br>
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221041049/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
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