What changed

B100059/2025

B100057/2025

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 19 February 2024 and 12 October 2020 on Belarus,

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

– having regard to the report of 25 March 2024 of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Belarus in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath,

– having regard to the statements by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 1 August 2024 on the release of number of political prisoners and of 26 February 2024 on parliamentary and local elections,

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

A. whereas Belarus remains engulfed in a severe climate of political repression and human rights violations under the rule of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who, since gaining power in 1994, has suppressed the opposition and transformed Belarus into an authoritarian state; whereas this authoritarian grip has tightened since the fraudulent 2020 presidential election, and the regime has continued to systematically dismantle democratic processes, silence dissent and consolidate its control over society, and whereas this repression continues to manifest itself in orchestrated elections, widespread human rights abuses and the suppression of civil society;

A. whereas, following the fraudulent presidential elections of August 2020, the Lukashenka regime has systematically targeted political activists, civil society representatives, journalists, human rights defenders and trade unionists, subjecting thousands to arbitrary detention and repression;

B. whereas both the parliamentary and local elections held on 25 February 2024, and the upcoming presidential election on 26 January 2025, exemplify the regime’s disregard for democratic norms as elections in Belarus are tightly controlled, with all candidates pre-approved by the authorities, opposition parties eliminated and voters denied any real choice; whereas the Lukashenka regime has fostered an atmosphere of fear and intimidation aimed at suppressing political dissent, muzzling freedom of expression and preventing peaceful assembly;

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

C. whereas the Belarusian Government’s decision to not invite the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to observe the upcoming presidential election on 26 January 2025 showcases the severity of the country’s situation, sending a clear signal about its detrimental impact on the country’s democratic development;

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;

D. whereas since the fraudulent 2020 presidential election, the regime has intensified its campaign of arrests and repression, and as of December 2024, there are 1 265 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and key political figures such as Mikalai Kazlou and Pavel Seviarynets, as well as journalist and Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut, human rights activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk and other journalists and activists that have been forced into exile; whereas the daily arrests and inhumane detention conditions further demonstrate the regime’s brutal suppression of dissent, creating a prevalent climate of fear and intimidation;

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;

E. whereas the repression in Belarus extends beyond the political opposition, affecting a wide spectrum of societal groups such as independent journalists, human rights defenders, trade union leaders, national, ethnic and religious minorities, as well as ordinary citizens who are all facing censorship, forced exile, economic coercion and property deprivation; whereas peaceful protests are effectively impossible across the country, with individuals facing severe persecution for expressing dissent online or in public as the regime’s actions have fostered a culture of impunity within the state apparatus, enabling widespread human rights violations without accountability;

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;

F. whereas a particularly alarming development is the attack on religious freedom through the recently adopted law on freedom of conscience and religious organisations that mandates the re-registration of all religious entities by 5 July 2025; whereas this threatens the existence of hundreds of religious communities and grossly violates the fundamental right to freedom of conscience; whereas this crackdown has also extended to the politically motivated persecution of religious leaders, exemplified by the recent sentencing of a Catholic priest, Henrykh Akalatovich, to 11 years in prison on fabricated charges of high treason, marking the first such case against the Catholic clergy in Belarus; whereas the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus has noted the systematic purging of civil society organisations since 2020, targeting human rights groups, independent trade unions, political parties and now religious organisations;

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;

G. whereas in the face of this dire situation, Belarusians are pursuing a multifaceted strategy by rejecting the legitimacy of the upcoming presidential election, labelling it a sham designed to solidify the dictatorship and efforts are being made to expose the lack of democratic conditions, to document human rights violations and to mobilise Belarusians through democratic means and creative forms of resistance, including by marking ‘against all’ on ballots;

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;

H. whereas the regime in Minsk’s continued support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine remains a significant geopolitical concern for the EU; whereas the EU strongly condemns Belarus’s complicity in enabling Russia’s military actions and calls on the regime to immediately cease such support and honour its international obligations, given that Belarus has consistently played an active role in facilitating Russia’s war efforts, further destabilising the region;

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;

I. whereas the mutual visa recognition agreement between Belarus and Russia that recently entered into force allows foreign citizens and stateless individuals holding a visa from either country to freely transit, enter or stay within both territories; whereas this has significant implications for the EU; whereas such an agreement represents another step towards the creeping annexation of Belarus by Russia, effectively turning Belarus into an extension of Russia’s borders, and may also make it easier for individuals, including those under EU sanctions, to travel closer to EU borders via Belarus or Russia;

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;

1. Rejects the legitimacy of the upcoming presidential election on 26 January 2025 in Belarus, labelling it a sham designed to solidify Lukashenka’s dictatorship, and refuses to acknowledge Lukashenka’s legitimacy as president;

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;

2. Emphasises the need to conduct a thorough investigation into the crimes perpetrated by the Lukashenka regime against the Belarusian people and encourages the EU Member States to actively invoke the principle of universal jurisdiction and initiate legal proceedings against Belarusian officials, including Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who are accountable for or complicit in systematic violence, repression and crimes against humanity and should be treated in a similar manner to Putin under international law and by the International Criminal Court for crimes related to the abduction of Ukrainian children;

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;

3. Underlines its unwavering support for democratic forces across Belarus and calls for strong international pressure, urging the global community to isolate the Lukashenka regime and support Belarusian civil society representatives both within the country and in exile;

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;

4. Condemns the forced Russification of Belarusian culture and history, including the systematic exclusion of the Belarusian language from schools and public spaces;

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;

5. Emphasises the need for enhanced financial and defence support for eastern European countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to counterbalance Russia-Belarus integration and for the intensification of sanctions targeting Belarusian and Russian officials or entities benefiting from the mutual visa recognition agreement;

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;

6. Calls for the EU and its Member States to find feasible solutions to hold the Lukashenka regime accountable for its crimes and to apply the principle of universal jurisdiction;

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;

7. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all Belarusian politicalReiterates prisonersits andcalls urgeson the Belarusian authorities to uphold the human rights of detainees by providing transparent information about their situation, ensuring accessrespect todetainees’ therights, necessaryprovide medical care and granting unrestrictedgrant access to lawyers, family membersfamilies and the International Committee of the Red Cross;

8. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the European External Action Service (EEAS), in response to the Belarus-Russia mutual visa recognition agreement, to enhance border security and the monitoring of the EU’s external borders to prevent the agreement from being exploited for unlawful activities or sanctions evasion, and to reinforce and synchronise sanctions, close loopholes and adopt a new sanctions package – in particular on potash and fertilisers – in order to address ongoing repression and electoral fraud and active support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine;

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;

9. Calls on the Member States to continue to support Belarusian civil society and opposition forces in order to counteract the regime’s growing dependency on Russia and to promote democratic reforms, while also informing EU citizens and entities of the security risks and sanctions implications of travelling to Belarus or Russia, insisting that Belarus must not become a geopolitical pawn or trophy for Vladimir Putin; stresses the importance of resisting the malicious actions of Lukashenka and Russia aimed at undermining Belarus’s sovereignty and identity;

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

10. Reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the people of Belarus and their rightful aspirations for a democratic and European future; remains dedicated to collaborating closely with democratic forces, civil society and independent media to promote freedom, democracy and prosperity for the benefit of the Belarusian people;

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;

11. Strongly condemns the Lukashenka regime’s weaponisation of migration as a tool to destabilise neighbouring EU Member States, as this is a deliberate tactic of orchestrating irregular migration flows that violates human rights, exploits vulnerable individuals for political purposes and undermines regional stability;

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

12. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the EEAS to develop a firm and coordinated response to counter this hybrid threat of weaponising migration while ensuring the protection of the EU’s external borders;

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;

13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the authorities of the Republic of Belarus.

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;

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;

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;

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;

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.