On Thursday, a Minsk court handed down a 15-day sentence to Alexander Milinkevich and two other opposition leaders for participating in an unauthorized demonstration Wednesday to mark 20 years since the Chernobyl disaster, the world's worst nuclear accident.
"I called on the Belarusian government to set free the arrested opposition leader immediately," a Foreign Ministry statement quoted Frank-Walter Steinmeier as saying during a visit to Sofia.
Milinkevich contested the Belarusian presidential election in March, but finished a distant second with 6% behind incumbent leader Alexander Lukashenko, who officially won 83% of the vote. The opposition said the poll was rigged.
Steinmeier said the policy of the Belarusian leaders only further increased the gap between them and common European values as well as the country's people.
He said the authorities were apparently seeking to intimidate the opposition, which has consistently complained of government pressure.
The German Foreign Ministry said the opposition leaders had attended the protest, which had reportedly been authorized but were convicted for participation in an unsanctioned rally.
Steinmeier's comments echoed the European Commission, which earlier condemned the arrest and called for the immediate release of Milinkevich. The 55-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the world's largest regional security grouping, issued a similar call.
