What changed

B100324/2026

B100325/2026

European Parliament resolution on the deteriorating situation of political prisoners in Belarus, in particular the case of Aliaksandra Pulinovich

(2026/2766(RSP))

– having regard to its numerous previous resolutions on Belarus,Belarus since August 2020,

– having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,

whereas Aliaksandra Pulinovich is an activist, sentenced to 10 years and 3 months of prison on politically motivated charges of “buildings desecration and property damaging,” “illegal actions in relation to firearms, ammunition and explosives,” and “attempting an act of terrorism”;

– having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas at the time of her detention in January 2024, Pulinovich was 16 years old; whereas during pre-trial detention, Pulinovich was allegedly subjected to ill-treatment during interrogation and was held in prolonged solitary confinement in inhumane conditions;

whereas then 16-year-old pupil Aliaksandra Pulinovich was detained in January 2024 and later sentenced to 10 years and 3 months in prison on politically motivated charges;

whereas Pulinovich faced various trial violations, including prolonged pretrial detention imposed on a minor, denial of adequate access to legal defence and parental support, public portrayal of the accused as guilty on State television prior to conviction, and closed-door court hearings;

whereas, during her pre-trial detention, she was repeatedly held in isolation and added to the regime’s ‘terrorist’ and ‘extremist’ lists; whereas, in April 2026, state television broadcast a film smearing her and other teenagers as having plotted attacks on police and prosecution offices;

whereas politically motivated prosecutions continue in Belarus, with over 850 political prisoners currently behind bars; whereas political prisoners are routinely denied access to appropriate health care, with many facing higher health risks due to poor prison conditions;

whereas Aliaksandra Pulinovich‘s detention and prosecution breach the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Whereas the UN Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus has reported that situation of political prisoners in Belarus may amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and in some cases could constitute torture;

whereas about 868 political prisoners remain in prison in Belarus; whereas, since the fraudulent presidential election of 9 August 2020, the regime has been exercising systematic repression against pro-democratic forces, activists, human rights defenders, civil society, independent media, and trade unions, subjecting detainees to ill-treatment and the denial of medical care, with several dying in custody;

Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Aliaksandra Pulinovich and all other political prisoners in Belarus; urges the Belarusian authorities to respect the human rights of detainees, supply information about their situation, provide necessary medical treatment and allow access for lawyers and family members; calls on the EU Delegation in Minsk to follow cases of political prisoners as closely as possible;

whereas the recent forced deportations of released political prisoners and the repression of their relatives in Belarus amounts to an additional form of political persecution;

Calls on Member States to ensure documentation efforts for crimes committed by the Lukashenka regime are continued at UN level, including by maintaining the mandates of the UN Group of Independent Experts and UNSR on human rights in Belarus; echoes the OHCHR recommendation to further accountability through national proceedings based on accepted principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction;

1. Condemns the politically motivated conviction and imprisonment of Aliaksandra Pulinovich for acts allegedly committed when she was a 16-year-old child and urges the Belarusian authorities to comply with their obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess a unified EU framework for compensating victims of politically motivated property confiscation by the Belarusian regime, including through legally available regime-linked assets and special duties on trade with Lukashenka’s regime;

2. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Aliaksandra Pulinovich and of all political prisoners in Belarus, and for all charges against them to be dropped and their convictions quashed;

Reiterates its call on the Commission and Member States to simplify the procedures for obtaining visas and residence permits for those fleeing Belarus for political reasons, as well as to prepare procedures for cases of statelessness of Belarusians residing in the EU whose identity documents have been invalidated or are expired;

3. Demands that the authorities guarantee all detainees access to health care, lawyers and family members, end incommunicado detention and ill-treatment, and investigate deaths in custody and allegations of torture;

Urges the Commission to further expand targeted sanctions against those individuals responsible for human rights abuses and the erosion of democracy and rule of law in Belarus, as well as ensure strict implementation;

4. Urges the Belarusian authorities to halt the systematic repression, including the transnational repression of exiled Belarusians, the forced deportations of released political prisoners, renewed repression against them and their relatives, and introduce a moratorium on the death penalty; calls on the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative to strengthen sanctions against those responsible for the repression;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, OHCHR, the representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces, and the authorities of Belarus.

5. Reiterates its call on the EU and its Member States to support the political prisoners and their families by seizing every opportunity to request their immediate release, summoning the regime’s ambassadors to ask for proof of their condition and location, granting humanitarian visas, providing rehabilitation, practical and financial support;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Belarusian de facto authorities.