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Berlin / Minsk (dpa) - Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has stood behind the people in Belarus who are desperately fighting for their freedom.
"Courageously and persistently, people have been calling for free and fair elections and an end to state violence and repression for months," Steinmeier said in Berlin.
"They need and they deserve our attention, help and support."
The Federal President had previously received opposition leader Svetlana Tichanowskaya for an hour-long conversation in his official residence at Bellevue Palace.
Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) also met with her.
After massive police violence against demonstrators in Belarus, Tichanovskaya demanded that Germany lift the visa requirement.
Persecuted people would have the opportunity to get to safety, said the civil rights activist during her visit to Berlin, the news magazine "Spiegel" on Monday.
"When people are locked up and beaten up, then that is the moment when Germany and other countries should think: Are they careful or do they follow the principles of democracy?"
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The 38-year-old also called for EU sanctions against the power apparatus of head of state Alexander Lukashenko to be expanded.
“The punitive measures look ridiculous when we see how many people have been arrested so far.
There have been more than 30,000 since August. "
There are many words of support.
"But we need action."
During protests against Lukashenko last Sunday, according to the Interior Ministry in Minsk, 271 people were put in prisons for taking part in unauthorized rallies.
Thousands of people took part, fewer than in autumn.
"Even if the protests on the streets will now decrease in winter, we will survive it and come back even stronger in spring when the weather gets better," said Tichanovskaya.
"We can win, I believe that."
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Belarus has been in a serious domestic political crisis since the controversial presidential election on August 9th.
After 26 years in power, Lukashenko had himself confirmed for a sixth term with 80.1 percent of the vote.
The EU no longer recognizes him as president.
For the opposition, Tichanovskaya is the real winner.
She fled to the EU country Lithuania after the vote.
On Wednesday Tichanovskaya will accept the European Parliament's renowned Sakharov Human Rights Prize.
This year the award goes to the opposition in Belarus.
The former foreign language teacher Tichanowskaja is considered to be the leader of the democracy movement.
The civil rights activist was surprisingly allowed to run for the presidential election after the ruler Alexander Lukashenko had her husband locked up in prison.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201214-99-690776 / 2