Rome Newsroom, Sep 21, 2020 / 04:00 am
After President Alexander Lukashenko announced that he was putting troops on high alert and closing Belarus' borders, a Vatican diplomat called Friday for dialogue and respect for the human rights of Belarusian protesters, who continue to take to the streets more than a month after disputed elections.
"The Holy See … renews its appeal for a peaceful and just resolution to the tensions through sincere dialogue, the rejection of violence, and respect for justice and fundamental human and civil rights," Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič said in Geneva Sept. 18.
Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council's special debate on Belarus, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva said that the Vatican had followed "with great attention the sociopolitical situation following the elections in Belarus."
"In the search for a peaceable solution to the current crisis, the Holy See considers it indispensable that demonstrators present their requests in a peaceful way. It is also necessary that governing authorities exercise restraint and listen to the voices of their citizens and remain open to their just aspirations, assuring full respect for their civil and human rights," Jurkovič said.