What changed

B100449/2025

Follow up to the European Parliament non-legislative resolution on the situation in Belarus, five years after the fraudulent presidential elections

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Belarus, five years after the stolen presidential elections

Resolution tabled pursuant to Rules 136(2) and (4) of the European Parliament’s Rules of procedure

(2025/2900(RSP))

References: 2025/2900(RSP) / B10-0451/2025 / P10_TA(2025)0249

The European Parliament,

Date of adoption of the resolution: 22 October 2025

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Competent Parliamentary Committee: N/A

– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

Brief analysis/assessment of the resolution and requests made in it:

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

The resolution reaffirms the European Parliament’s strong condemnation of the repressive policy of the Belarusian authorities and firm solidarity with all those who continue to work towards a democratic future for the country. It calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and reiterates the call for the EU and the Member States to support political prisoners and their families. The resolution also calls on the EU and the Member States to continue investigating human rights abuses and crimes against humanity in Belarus and to support measures to hold perpetrators accountable.

– having regard to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reports on the state of democracy and electoral integrity in Belarus,

The resolution calls on the EU and the Member States to continue supporting Belarusian democratic forces, civil society, students, researchers, journalists, trade union leaders, exiled professionals and others. It also calls on the EU and Member States to strengthen sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for the evasion of sanctions, the undermining of democracy and human rights violations as well as for Belarus’s participation in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

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

Response to the requests in the resolution and overview of the action taken, or intended to be taken, by the Commission:

A. whereas elections in Belarus have consistently failed to meet international standards of transparency, fairness and democratic legitimacy, as highlighted by independent observers and the OSCE;

On paragraph 3 on supporting political prisoners and their families, the Commission continues to actively support victims of repression, including political prisoners and their families. The Commission welcomes the release of 123 political prisoners on 13 December 2025. Since 2020, practical and emergency assistance has been provided through the Victims Facility to over 7,500 victims of repression in the form of medical, financial, relocation, legal, rehabilitation, and psychological support. The large majority of the recently released political prisoners have received EU support via this project. The Commission’s support also extends to human rights monitoring and accountability efforts to address ongoing repressions.

B. whereas five years after the presidential elections of August 2020, the situation in Belarus remains marked by serious restrictions on free speech, political pluralism, media independence, trade union rights and civil society;

Concerning paragraphs 4 and 8 on supporting the Belarusian democratic forces, the EU stands in solidarity with the people of Belarus and will continue to support the Belarusian democratic forces and civil society in their quest for freedom and democracy. The EU maintains regular and structured dialogue with the Belarusian democratic forces, including its leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, through EEAS-led Consultative Group meetings organised twice a year since 2023, and the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) held annually since 2022. The fourth SOM edition took place on 8 October 2025 in Brussels with the participation of Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. The event brought representatives of EU institutions and the Member States together with representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces and civil society to provide an assessment of the evolving needs of the people of Belarus. The EU pledged to strengthen support for civil society, human rights and independent media.

C. whereas in recent months, Belarusian authorities have released a number of political prisoners – including prominent opposition figures, journalists, and activists such as Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ihar Karnei, Mikola Dziadok, Ihar Losik and Natallia Dulina – often in connection with high-level international diplomatic contacts; whereas political arrests continue despite these pardons;

On paragraph 8 on supporting civil society, journalists, students, academics and professionals, the EU has committed a total of EUR 200 million since 2020 to support the people of Belarus in the fields of human rights, civil society, independent media, education, culture, and business. The next package of assistance of EUR 30 million announced in December 2025 will strengthen support to civil society, independent media and human rights.

D. whereas despite these releases, over a thousand political prisoners remain detained on politically motivated charges, and there are frequent reports of torture, ill-treatment, solitary confinement, lack of fair trials and other serious human rights violations;

Promoting human rights and civic engagement is essential to long term democratisation in Belarus. The EU remains firmly committed to supporting Belarusians working for democratic change. Since 2020, the EU has mobilised EUR 67 million in support of civil society and human rights organisations. This enables civil society organisations to continue their activities building communities, promoting the rights of vulnerable groups, and engaging citizens.

E. whereas Belarus remains the only country in Europe 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’;

The EU has also mobilised EUR 38 million to support independent media since 2020. The EU’s financial assistance is directed toward a diverse range of independent media outlets and media professionals who continue to deliver quality, objective information to citizens across the country, reaching an estimated monthly audience of 2 million people. This includes a combination of core support, project-based funding and capacity to building to help to promote a diverse and dynamic independent media eco-system.

F. whereas sanctions and isolation, while aimed at pressuring the regime, have also had collateral negative effects on ordinary citizens, increasing economic hardship and limiting access to rights and services;

Human capital development also remains an integral part of the EU’s support to the people of Belarus. Scholarships and mobility opportunities are available to Belarusian students, academics, and cultural professionals, helping them to pursue education and professional growth. Through the Education for Belarusians project, students and professionals have received targeted assistance to integrate into universities and job markets in the EU, as well as opportunities for personal development, networking, and community building. Our assistance also enabled the provision of technical and legal support to hundreds of Belarusian SMEs which were forced to relocate abroad. In total, EUR 65 million has been mobilised to support Belarusian students, artists and professionals since 2020.

G. whereas the Lukashenka regime granted Russian forces access to Belarusian territory to start the full-scale invasion of Ukraine;

On paragraph 9 regarding the representation of the Belarusian democratic forces in international forums, the democratic forces and Belarusian civil society play an ongoing role in the Eastern Partnership. This regional platform allows Belarusian democratic actors to engage with their counterparts in the Eastern Neighbourhood and exchange over common challenges.

H. whereas sustainable improvement in Belarus requires genuine internal dialogue, societal reconciliation, the restoration of democratic norms and institutions, and an end to foreign domination of domestic affairs;

On paragraphs 15 and 16 regarding supporting the investigation of human rights abuses, the EU actively leads and supports initiatives, including in international fora, that seek justice for victims of repression and human rights violations in Belarus, as well as accountability mechanisms. The International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB) plays a crucial role in collecting and preserving evidence of human rights violations committed by the Belarusian authorities and is working to ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations are held accountable for their actions. The IAPB has made 6 evidential submissions with relevant international bodies such as the International Criminal Court to achieve this aim.

I. whereas Aliaksandr Lukashenka has been in power continuously for over 30 years, a unique case in contemporary Europe;

As regards paragraphs 21 and 22 on sanctions, the Commission recalls that the EU has adopted restrictive measures against Belarus in response to the 2020 fraudulent elections, the repression, human rights abuses, instrumentalization of migration at the EU border, and the country’s complicity in Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, targeting a total of 314 individuals and 58 entities. The 19th package of sanctions against Russia adopted on 23 October 2025 also includes 5 new listings related to the Belarusian military-industrial complex and the Lukashenka regime.

1. Condemns the continued oppression of the Belarusian people by the Lukashenka regime, including widespread human rights violations, the systematic repression of political opposition, arbitrary arrests, torture, harassment and ill-treatment of detainees, persistent impunity and a structural lack of respect for due process and fair trials, and the use of violence against peaceful protesters;

2. Denounces the fraudulent nature of elections in Belarus, which fail to meet basic democratic and international standards;

3. Reiterates its full solidarity with the Belarusian people in their struggle for dignity, social justice, human rights and democratic participation;

4. Stresses that Belarus’s future must be determined by the will of its people, free from external pressure or interference; emphasises that Belarus’s sovereignty and political trajectory should reflect the aspirations of its citizens;

5. Reiterates its condemnation of Belarus’s involvement in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; calls on Belarus to refrain from complicity in or facilitating Russia’s war against Ukraine, and to work toward diplomatic solutions and peace in the region;

6. Welcomes the release of political prisoners Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ihar Karnei, Mikola Dziadok, Ihar Losik and Natallia Dulina and of trade unionists Aliaksandr Yarashuk and Nikita Zolotorjev, as a positive but partial step; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining political detainees, and for their rights to be restored;

7. Urges the Belarusian authorities to respect their international obligations under human rights treaties and to engage in a genuine, inclusive dialogue with opposition forces and civil society and to stop all kinds of repression;

8. Notes with great concern how the Belarusian Government refuses to respect the fundamental rights of the LGBTI+ community, ethnical minorities and other exploited and discriminated groups; calls in this regard for the full respect and integrity of sexual- and other minority rights;

9. Reiterates its call for the EU and its Member States to simplify the procedures for obtaining visas and provisional identification documents for those fleeing Belarus, and providing rehabilitation, practical and financial support;

10. Calls for the EU to revise its sanctions policy to mitigate harm to ordinary citizens, while maintaining pressure on the regime; insists that any normalisation of relations between the EU and Belarus be conditional on credible progress in respect for human rights, the rule of law, press freedom, the civil society space, and justice for victims of repression;

11. Underlines that a peaceful, democratic, socially just Belarus is in the interest of stability in eastern Europe and the EU, and that isolation risks driving Belarus further into authoritarian dependency;

12. 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, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the United Nations, the OSCE, and the Belarusian authorities.