What changed

B90103/2024

B90126/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on The new wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members

(2024/2550(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to its Ruleprevious 144,resolutions on Belarus,

whereas according to the NGO Viasna, in the context of the elections of the scheduled parliamentary and municipal elections on February 25 2024, since the 23 of January 2024 a new wave of repression against ex-political prisoners and their family is occurring and more than 160 persons had been arrested, questioned or had their homes searched; whereas according to Viasna, there are currently more than 1500 political prisoners in Belarus; whereas allegations of severe restriction of rights of detainees ill-treatments and torture;

having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas following the presidential election in 2020 and the start of the war in Ukraine, the Belarusian authorities have prosecuted thousands of individuals; whereas the total ban of any opposition party in Belarus in consequence of the “law on political parties”, of February 2023

whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to perpetrate widespread and systematic politically motivated repression against the people of Belarus;

whereas according to UNHCR the crackdown on civil society organizations continues, with as many as 900 NGOs being dissolved and 492 organizations forced to shut down to avoid criminal prosecution and the situation in Belarus has forced at least an estimated 300,000 persons to leave the country since May 2020;

whereas in January 2024State Security Committee (KGB) officers conducted raids, interrogations and detentions targeting family members of political prisoners and former political prisoners on “extremism”-related charges, including some who had received assistance via the “INeedHelpBY” initiative; whereas the majority of the 200 detained are mothers and wives of political prisoners, including Marina Adamovich, wife of 2020 Sakharov Prize recipient Mikalai Statkevich;

Expresses deep concern at reports of human rights defenders, opposition leaders, activists, trade unionists, artists and journalists continue to be subjected to arbitrary detention and prosecution, violence and intimidation; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, arrested or sentenced on politically motivated grounds, and for all charges against them to be dropped;

whereas on 24 January, the Investigative Committee initiated a “special procedure” against 20 political analysts, journalists and sociologists dubbed “Tsikhanouskaya’s analysts” facing confiscation of property and the citizenship revocation if convicted;

Condemns the new wave of repression in Belarus and denounces the fact that politically motivated trials are held behind closed doors and without due process, thereby breaching the country’s international obligations and commitments;

Whereas in Belarus, political prisoners face egregious mistreatment, including torture and forced labour;

Urges the authorities to comply with international standards and law regarding notably fair justice, proper medical evaluation and assistance, and access to lawyers and family for the persons in jail;

whereas the regime continues to expand the list of “extremist” organizations and materials;

Reminds the Belarusian authorities of their obligations to respect the human rights of all Belarusian citizens, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association;

whereas the latest crackdown precedes the parliamentary and local elections on 25 February; whereas the Lukashenka regime succeeded in liquidating and preventing democratic parties from participating in the elections;

Calls on the Belarusian authorities to reinstall and guarantee full democratic rights to Members and activists of political parties, trade unions and citizens movements and for enabling their participation in shaping the democratic life of the Belarus society;

1. Condemns the recent wave of persecution in Belarus, especially targeting women, and urges the Belarusian de facto authorities to immediately cease all repression, persecution and arbitrary detention of peaceful citizens;

Stresses that the documentation of grave abuses and accountability efforts for international crimes must be continued at the UN level with a reformed and strengthened OHCHR examination of the human rights situation in Belarus;

2. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, whose number currently exceeds 1400, and their detained family members and restoration of their full rights, dropping of all charges against the so-called “Tsikhanouskaya’s analysts”, and reminds the Belarusian regime of its international obligations;

calls to renew and preserve the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus to ensure continued scrutiny over ongoing human rights violations;

3. Reiterates its position on the lack of transparency, freedom and fairness of the forthcoming parliamentary and local elections in Belarus and calls on the EU, its Member States, and the international community not to recognise the results;

Expresses concern at the negative impact of the EU’s sanctions for the social and economic reality of a majority of the Belarusian people;

4. Calls on the HR/VP and the Council to respond by imposing additional sanctions on the regime and those responsible for serious human rights violations, including high-level officials and security forces, to further reduce diplomatic presence of Belarus in the EU, and to continue to support regime victims;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the authorities of Belarus, the EU Member States, the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the EEAS and the UN.

5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to enable the documentation of human rights violations in Belarus, to support the transformation of the OHCHR examination of the human rights situation in Belarus into a fully independent investigative mechanism, to uphold the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus and to support the investigation of universal jurisdiction cases;

6. 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 work tirelessly with representatives of democratic forces, civil society and independent media in benefit of the people of Belarus;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, Member States, the representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces, the de facto Belarusian authorities and the UN.