What changed

B100057/2025

B100055/2025

European Parliament resolution on the need for actions to address the continued oppression and fake elections in Belarus

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 12 October 2020 and 19 February 2024 on Belarus and 12to the European Council conclusions of 21 and 22 October 20202021 on Belarus,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 22 October 2021 on Belarus,

– having regard to the statements by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 26 February 2024 on parliamentary and local elections and of 1 August 2024 on the release of a number of political prisoners, and the statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU of 8 August 2023 on the third anniversary of the fraudulent presidential elections,

– having regard to the report of 25 MarchUniversal 2024Declaration of the OfficeHuman ofRights, the UN High CommissionerCharter, forthe HumanInternational RightsCovenant on theCivil situationand ofPolitical humanRights rightsand inother Belarusinternational inhuman therights run-upinstruments to the 2020 presidential electionwhich andBelarus inis itsa aftermath,party,

– having regard to the statementsreport byof the HighUN RepresentativeOffice of the Union forHigh ForeignCommissioner Affairsfor andHuman SecurityRights Policy(OHCHR) of 125 AugustMarch 2024 on the releasesituation of numberhuman ofrights politicalin prisonersBelarus andin ofthe 26run-up Februaryto 2024the on2020 parliamentarypresidential election and localin elections,its aftermath,

– having regard to the resolution of the General Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) of 12 June 2023 concerning the measures recommended by the Governing Body under article 33 of the ILO Constitution on the subject of Belarus,

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas,whereas followingthe 30-year authoritarian rule of Aliaksandr Lukashenka in Belarus has been characterised by systematic repression of political opponents and dissent, including the enforced disappearance of Lukashenka’s critics; whereas since the fraudulent presidential electionselection of August 2020, the illegitimate Lukashenka regime has systematically targetedrepressed political activists, civil society representatives, journalists,society, human rights defendersdefenders, andlawyers, journalists, artists, religious leaders, trade unionists,unionists subjectingand thousandsother togroups arbitraryin detentionBelarus and repression;abroad, arbitrarily detaining tens of thousands of people;

B. whereas systematic human rights violations in Belarus have been documented, including torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, kidnappings and the suppression of fundamental freedoms;

B. whereas according to the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’, over 1 250 political prisoners remain detained in Belarus in conditions that put their lives at risk, and many of these prisoners are in fragile health; whereas several political prisoners have died in custody, four of them in 2024 alone; whereas political prisoners face torture, denial of medical care, restricted access to visits from lawyers and family members, and solitary confinement; whereas since the summer of 2020, 3 697 people have been recognised as political prisoners; whereas in 2024 alone, at least 8 895 cases of politically motivated persecution were documented, including arrests, detentions, dismissals and other forms of repression targeting political prisoners, their families and lawyers, activists, journalists, priests, doctors, returning Belarusians and others;

C. whereas Lukashenka pardoned approximately 230 political prisoners in 2024; whereas, despite these pardons, more than 1 500 political prisoners remain arbitrarily and unjustly detained, many of whom are subjected to inhumane and life-threatening conditions, including torture, the denial of medical care, restricted family visits and solitary confinement;

C. whereas multiple international organisations, including the OHCHR, have documented systematic human rights violations in Belarus, including torture, arbitrary detention, imprisonment or other severe deprivations of physical liberty, enforced disappearances, persecution on political grounds and the suppression of freedoms, which amount to crimes against humanity under international law; whereas in September 2024 Lithuania referred the situation in Belarus to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, asking it to investigate certain crimes against humanity committed by the Lukashenka regime;

D. whereas according to the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’, at least 360 people were detained between July and September 2024, and many democratic opposition leaders remain imprisoned, including ‘Viasna’ founder and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ales Bialiatski, Pavel Seviarynets, co-chair of Belarusian Christian Democracy, an EPP observer member party, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Viktar Babaryka, Maryia Kalesnikava and Mikalai Statkevich; whereas at least six political prisoners have died in custody under suspicious circumstances over the past three years, highlighting the dire conditions in Belarusian prisons;

D. whereas this illegitimate regime plans to hold sham presidential elections on 26 January 2025, with Lukashenka seeking a seventh term; whereas no official missions from democratic countries will be observing the sham elections;

E. whereas exiled Belarusians face ongoing persecution, including the misuse of Interpol arrest warrants to facilitate the extradition of political opponents from non-EU countries; whereas approximately 500 000 Belarusians have been forced to leave their country since 2020 and they continue to face political persecution abroad;

E. whereas the election campaign has been marked by the detention of individuals involved in campaigning for opposition candidates in the 2020 presidential elections, and a clear readiness to harshly suppress dissent;

F. whereas repressive measures in Belarus have increasingly targeted religious freedom, with the recent adoption of the law on freedom of conscience and religious organisations, which mandates the re-registration of all religious and faith-based organisations by 5 July 2025, thereby posing a serious threat to the rights and existence of religious communities;

F. whereas at least eight political prisoners are currently detained incommunicado: Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ihar Losik, Maksim Znak, Mikalai Statkevich, Mikalai Bankou, Aliaksandr Frantskevich, Andrei Navitski and Uladzimir Kniha; whereas Viktar Babaryka was detained incommunicado until very recently, while Maria Kalesnikava was held incommunicado for more than 600 days before November 2024;

G. whereas the regime intends to hold so-called presidential elections on 26 January 2025, in conditions that are contrary to all internationally recognised standards, with Lukashenka aiming to secure a seventh term;

G. whereas the Lukashenka regime has stepped up pressure on the staff of Western diplomatic missions accredited in Belarus, as well as other foreigners; whereas Mikalai Khila, a local member of staff of the EU delegation to Belarus, was apprehended by the Belarusian KGB in front of the EU delegation office, held in pre-trial detention from April 2024 and sentenced, in December 2024, to four years of imprisonment; whereas he has been listed as a political prisoner by the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’; whereas two Japanese citizens were recently detained on trumped-up charges of ‘agent activities’;

H. whereas the current presidential election campaign is being conducted in an environment of severe repression, which fails to meet even the minimum standards of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe for democratic elections; whereas opposition candidates are barred from participating, media freedom is heavily restricted, voters face intimidation, and the absence of independent election observation further undermines the legitimacy of the electoral process;

H. whereas Lukashenka pardoned over 200 political prisoners in 2024 in an attempt to lift some Western sanctions; whereas political arrests continue despite these pardons, with at least 1 721 individuals convicted on political charges in 2024 alone;

I. whereas the Lukashenka regime in Belarus is directly enabling the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, inter alia, by allowing Russia to attack Ukraine, including through the launch of ballistic missiles from Belarusian territory, by enabling the stationing and transport of Russian military personnel and the storing and transport of military equipment and weapons, including heavy weapons, by allowing Russian military aircraft to fly over Belarusian airspace into Ukraine and by providing refuelling points;

I. whereas the Belarusian regime employs anti-extremism laws to obstruct media outlets, whereby most independent media have been labelled as ‘extremist’, with at least 45 media representatives detained, around 400 in exile and others facing harassment and mistreatment; recognises the crucial role of independent media, such as Belsat TV, Nexta and others, in providing essential information and serving as a platform for democratic voices;

1. Reiterates its non-recognition of the election of Aliaksandr Lukashenka to the post of President of Belarus; considers the current regime in Belarus to be illegitimate, illegal and criminal; reaffirms its unwavering support for the Belarusian people in their pursuit of democracy, freedom and human rights; expresses solidarity with Belarusian democratic forces and civil society organisations in their efforts to establish a sovereign, democratic and prosperous Belarus;

J. whereas more than 500 000 Belarusians have been forced to flee the country since 2020, with some continuing to face persecution from the Lukashenka regime, including through trials in absentia, threats from the security forces and pressure on relatives, confiscation of property and other restrictions;

2. Denounces the lack of freedom, fairness and transparency ahead of the so-called presidential elections in Belarus and calls for the EU, its Member States and the international community to reject the fake electoral process and refrain from recognising Aliaksandr Lukashenka as President of Belarus;

K. whereas under Lukashenka, more than 250 people sentenced to death have been executed; whereas Belarus remains the only country in Europe and Central Asia to retain the death penalty, with its scope expanded in 2022 to include vaguely defined acts of terrorism and in 2023 to include ‘treason against the state’;

3. Recalls that the ongoing fake election campaign and subsequent so-called elections do not meet any internationally recognised election standards; recalls that there will be no independent international observation missions present in Belarus for the ‘election’; considers the ongoing ‘election’ process a farce;

L. whereas the Belarusian authorities employ surveillance, online censorship and disinformation, escalating digital authoritarianism and undermining the prospects for free and fair elections in 2025; whereas Belarusian propagandists regularly spread disinformation about EU Member States and their officials and suppress access to information;

4. Urges the EU and international partners to promptly identify, freeze and consider confiscating the assets of entities and individuals orchestrating Lukashenka’s so-called election campaign, including the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus;

M. whereas the Lukashenka regime has proven to be instrumental to Putin by providing Russian forces with access to Belarusian territory in order to mount the full-scale invasion of Ukraine; whereas the Lukashenka regime commits crimes against Ukrainian children, including hosting re-education camps for political indoctrination and militarisation; whereas it assists attempts by Russia and others to destabilise the EU and undermine European aspirations among the EU’s neighbours, notably by weaponising migration at the EU’s borders and legitimising Bidzina Ivanishvili’s autocratic regime in Georgia;

5. Deplores the ongoing grave violations of human rights and democratic principles in Belarus, which have further intensified in the run-up to the so-called presidential elections; condemns the systematic repression perpetrated by Belarus, which includes arbitrary arrests, torture, harassment and the ill-treatment of detainees; reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals detained for their political views in Belarus; calls on the Lukashenka regime to end all forms of repression and guarantee the fundamental freedoms of Belarusian citizens;

N. whereas the EU has imposed targeted sanctions on Belarus in response to the fraudulent 2020 elections, human rights violations, and Belarus’s complicity in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including trade restrictions and sanctions on 287 individuals, among them Lukashenka, and 39 entities;

6. Expresses the utmost concern over the situation of political prisoners, including Maria Kalesnikava, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ales Bialiatski, Mikalai Statkevich, Mikalai Khila, Valiantsin Stefanovic, Maksim Znak, Viktar Babaryka, Ihar Losik, Andrzej Poczobut, Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Uladzimir Matskevich, Marfa Rabkova, Uladzimir Labkovich, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Yana Pinchuk, Mikalai Bankou, Andrei Navitski, Henrykh Akalatovich, Uladzimir Kniha and others, many of whom are facing severe health issues without access to proper medical care and are enduring isolation, ill-treatment and torture;

O. whereas the Lukashenka regime, with Russian assistance, circumvents some of these sanctions through preferential market access and the use of Russian infrastructure; whereas reports indicate that BelAZ, a sanctioned Belarusian producer of trucks, circumvents sanctions by disassembling trucks in Belarus and shipping the parts to the EU for reassembly under different logos;

7. Reiterates its calls on the Belarusian authorities to respect detainees’ rights, provide medical care and grant access to lawyers, families and the International Committee of the Red Cross;

1. Calls for the EU, its Member States and the international community to categorically reject the upcoming election in Belarus, and the run-up campaign, as a sham, to not recognise the legitimacy of Aliaksandr Lukashenka as president after 26 January 2025, and to do everything possible to ensure that free and fair elections can be held in Belarus;

8. Reiterates its call for the EU and its Member States to support the political prisoners and their families by requesting, at every opportunity, their immediate release, summoning the regime’s ambassadors to request proof of their condition and location, simplifying the procedures for obtaining visas and provisional identification documents for those fleeing Belarus, and providing rehabilitation and practical and financial support;

2. Reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals detained in Belarus for their political views, alongside compensation and the restoration of their rights; demands an end to the repression of political opponents and the Belarusian public;

9. Emphasises the urgent need to protect exiled Belarusians from persecution and harassment by the Lukashenka regime;

3. Expresses grave concern about the situation of political prisoners, including Maria Kalesnikava, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ales Bialiatski, Mikalai Statkevich, Mikalai Khila, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Maksim Znak, Viktar Babaryka, Ihar Losik, Andrzej Poczobut, Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Uladzimir Matskevich, Marfa Rabkova, Uladzimir Labkovich, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Yana Pinchuk, Mikalai Bankou, Andrei Navitski, Henrykh Akalatovich, Uladzimir Kniha and others, many of whom are facing severe health issues without access to proper medical care, and are enduring isolation, ill treatment and torture;

10. Deplores the fact that repressive measures in Belarus have expanded to include attacks on religious freedom, through the adoption of the law on freedom of conscience and religious organisations, which grossly violates the fundamental right to freedom of religion, conscience and belief; urges the Lukashenka regime to immediately halt the persecution of religious communities and Churches;

4. Calls for the EU and its Member States to continue to investigate human rights abuses in Belarus and to support accountability measures, including through extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction; calls for the EU and its Member States to investigate, on the basis of universal jurisdiction, the crimes against humanity committed by the Lukashenka regime in Belarus and on EU territory and, following Lithuania’s example, to refer the situation in Belarus to the International Criminal Court for investigation to the extent possible, and to consider the establishment of an international tribunal to prosecute the crimes of the Lukashenka regime; calls on the Member States to allow Belarusian lawyers expelled by the regime to practise on EU territory in order to provide legal assistance to persecuted Belarusians;

11. Calls for the EU and its Member States to support the democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in every possible way;

5. Reiterates its calls on the Belarusian authorities to respect detainees’ rights, provide them with medical care, and grant them access to lawyers, their families and international organisations;

12. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Lukashenka regime’s involvement in Russia’s unjustified, illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine; considers that the Lukashenka regime has become an accomplice in the crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine; deems, furthermore, that the special international tribunal on the crime of aggression perpetrated by Russia against Ukraine must also have the jurisdiction to investigate the Belarusian leadership;

6. Reiterates its call for the EU and the Member States to support political prisoners and their families, including by demanding proof of political prisoners’ whereabouts, requesting their release, simplifying the procedures for those fleeing Belarus to obtain visas and identity documents, and providing rehabilitation and other types of support;

13. Calls for the EU and its Member States to find legal pathways to seize the assets of the Belarusian leadership and related Belarusian entities involved in the Russian war effort and use them to support the reconstruction of Ukraine;

7. Stresses the importance of protecting exiled Belarusians from persecution by the Lukashenka regime, and of granting them opportunities to legally stay and work in the EU;

14. Denounces the illegal transfer of several thousand children, including orphans, from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to so-called recreational camps in Belarus, where they are subjected to Russification and indoctrination; strongly condemns the involvement of the Belarus Red Cross in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children;

8. Commends the resilience of Belarusian civil society and democratic forces; reiterates its solidarity with the people of Belarus and its support for their legitimate aspirations for a democratic and European future, and remains committed to working with Belarusian democratic forces, civil society and independent media for the benefit of the people of Belarus;

15. Urges the EU and its international partners to strengthen sanctions against individuals and entities, such as the Belarusian KGB, which are responsible for the repression of political opponents and for Belarus’ participation in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; calls for the EU to align its sanctions regime for Belarus with that applied to Russia;

9. Calls for the continuation of EU support for Belarusian democratic forces, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya; reiterates the need to support Belarusian democratic forces, civil society, students, journalists, leaders of trade unions, exiled professionals and others by providing them with visas, scholarships, grants and networking opportunities;

16. Calls on the Member States and the international community to prepare the ground for the criminal prosecution of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and the Belarusian officials who are responsible for falsifying the 2020 election results and escalating human rights violations in its aftermath, under the accepted principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction; highlights the invaluable work carried out by human rights defenders and civil society representatives on the ground in monitoring, documenting and reporting the grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity that are taking place in Belarus, in order to ensure subsequent accountability and justice for the victims;

10. Denounces the Lukashenka regime’s complicity in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and condemns its deliberate subordination of Belarus to Russia in a so-called union state encompassing political, geopolitical, economic, military and cultural spheres; reiterates the need to contribute to strengthening Belarusian national identity and the Belarusian language, and to combat the falsification of Belarusian history by the Lukashenka regime and the Kremlin and its proxies;

17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Union / High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the relevant EU institutions, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Japanese Government, the representatives of Belarusian democratic forces and the Belarusian de facto authorities.

11. Urges the EU and its international partners to strengthen sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for the repression in Belarus and for Belarus’s participation in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, while closing sanctions loopholes; calls for the EU to sanction Belarusian entities and individuals responsible for the forced labour of political prisoners, as well as the goods produced through such forced labour;

12. Calls on EU and Western companies to cease their activities in Belarus;

13. Urges the EU and its international partners to immediately identify, freeze and consider confiscating sanctioned Belarusian assets, as well as the assets of entities and individuals leading Lukashenka’s so-called election campaign, including the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus;

14. Urges Belarus to commute all death sentences, impose a moratorium on capital punishment and move towards its permanent abolition;

15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the relevant EU institutions, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Japanese Government, representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces, and the Belarusian de facto authorities.