MINSK, 20 January (BelTA) - The fate of those involved in the organization of the riots on 19 December in Minsk is in their hands, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said in a meeting on some political issues on 20 January, BelTA has learnt. “Regarding the things that they demand from us, I want to say that we are not bloodthirsty. The fate of those the European Union is so vigorously advocating for is solely in their hands,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “Neither security forces nor the President have anything to do with it. It is solely in their hands. If they want to remain in a detention facility, let them. If they want to be with their families, it also depends on them. This is not a problem. It is being addressed today by the investigating authorities. Not only investigators but also the country has a number of questions the answers to which we are waiting to hear. Keeping silent like a mouse under a broom and thinking that tomorrow the Americans or the Europeans will come and save them is useless,” the President said. “I would like to assure the Europeans that we will act in compliance with the European standards,” Alexander Lukashenko stressed. “If Europeans, who zealously defended our outcasts, were concerned with their fate, if their hearts were out there for them, we would not have any problems. There is only one goal: to show this issue in the best advantage of the European Union and its member-states. The European Union has a lot of problems. So does the United States. Thus they had better mind their own business. But someone wants to make a pretty penny out of this issue and to expand on it. We would not mind discussing or even holding forth on it. But first of all, we need to investigate the situation and take into account all facts,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “Our decisions will be guided, first of all, by the Belarusian Constitution and will be based on the actual facts. We will also take into account outside experience. There are no other ways. If we amend the norms of Constitution and change laws to please the policy, we will break the whole country. The experience of many countries can prove this idea,” he concluded.

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