Germany plans to grant Asylum to 50 Opposition Belarusians

Berlin, Feb 12(Sputnik) Germany is planning to grant asylum to 50 members of the Belarusian opposition and their families, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reports on Thursday, citing a document produced by the country’s Federal Ministry of the Interior.
The plans come as Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday reiterated Berlin’s support for the Belarusian opposition, saying that Germany would continue to back independent media outlets and give easier access to visas and scholarships.
As reported by the newspaper, Germany’s interior and foreign ministries have agreed to offer asylum to up to 50 members of the opposition, although each case would be considered separately.
“Reception [of the opposition members in Germany] should begin as soon as possible,” the newspaper quoted the document as saying.
Manuel Sarrazin, a lawmaker for the Alliance 90/The Greens, told the newspaper that more than 50 opposition members should be able to receive asylum.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Saturday that Berlin would allocate 21 million euros ($25.3 million) to support the Belarusian opposition over the coming months.
Belarus has experienced a wave of opposition protests in the months following the August 9 presidential election that saw incumbent Alexander Lukashenko win a sixth term in office. Several prominent opposition figures, including former presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, have fled the country, and the EU has imposed sanctions on officials in the Belarusian government.
Lukashenko has repeatedly said that the opposition protests are being coordinated from abroad and has demanded that other countries refrain from interfering in Belarus’s domestic affairs.