What changed

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

B90110

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))

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus,

– having regard to Rule 144(5) and 132(4)144 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas in January 2024, the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) officers carried out raids, interrogations and detentions targeting over 200 family members of current and former political prisoners as well as beneficiaries of the ‘INeedHelpBY’ initiative on ‘extremism’-related charges; whereas the majority are mothers and wives offormer political prisoners, including Marina Adamovich, wife of Mikalai Statkevich, Tatsiana Seviarynets, mother of Pavel Seviarynets, and earlier-arrestedprisoners Dariaon Losik,trumped wifeup of“extremism” Iharrelated Losik;charges;

B. whereas additional charges were brought in absentia against 20 political analysts, journalists and sociologists dubbed ‘Tsikhanouskaya’s analysts’, who face confiscation of property and revocation of citizenship if convicted;

whereas, notably, Maryna Adamovich, spouse of jailed activist Mikalai Statkevich, was placed in so-called administrative detention for 15 days for “petty hooliganism”;

C. whereas political prisoners, including party leaders Mikalai Kazlou, Ryhor Kastusiou, Mikalai Statkevich and Pavel Seviarynets, face isolation, torture, denial of medical care and forced labour;

whereas many other detentions are reportedly connected to the INeedHelpBY project, an initiative providing food to those financially impacted by politically-motivated repression, which has been outlawed by the authorities as “extremist”;

D. whereas the latest crackdown precedes the parliamentary and local ‘elections’ on 25 February; whereas the 2023 ‘law on political parties’ is preventing democratic opposition parties from participating in the elections;

whereas on 25 January the Belarusian authorities launched a criminal investigation into a group of twenty analysts, journalists and commentators now outside the country, accusing them of “conspiring to seize power and promote extremism”, as well as providing support and expertise to the office of Svialtana Tsikhanouskaya;

1. Strongly condemns the recent wave of mass arrests in Belarus and urges the illegitimate Lukashenka regime to cease repression, especially any gender-based persecution, and reminds the regime of its international obligations;

whereas this most recent wave of repression by the Lukashenka regime against its critics and potential political opponents are taking place just weeks ahead of the parliamentary “elections” on 25 February;

2.Condemns Callsthe forrecent thewave immediateof unconditionalmass releasearrests andin compensationBelarus of all moreopposition thanactivists 1and 400their politicalfamily prisoners,members as wellthe asLukashenko theirregime familiescontinues the grand scale political persecution of its own population and arbitrarilydemands detainedthe persons,immediate whileand restoringunconditional theirrelease fullof rights;all political prisoners;

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

Continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Belarus; reiterates its non-recognition of the election of Aleksandr Lukashenka as president of Belarus, and denounces the continuing repression of democratic forces, free media and civil society through politically motivated show trials;

4. Calls on the VP/HR and the Council to respond by imposing stronger sanctions on the Lukashenka regime, including against goods involving political prisoners’ forced labour, stricter financial sanctions, and sanctions on individuals responsible for serious human-rights violations, including high-level officials and members of the security forces; calls for a further reduction of the diplomatic presence of Belarus in the EU, continued support for regime victims through special instruments allowing them to obtain EU visas and residence permits and addressing cases of statelessness;

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 rules and procedures to deal with cases of statelessness, as well as to provide support for those Belarusians residing in the EU whose identity documents are about to expire and who have no means of renewing them without returning to Belarus;

5. Calls on Member States to ensure that the Commissiondocumentation and theaccountability Memberefforts Statesfor tointernational furthercrimes supportcommitted by the documentationLukashenka ofregime humanare rightscontinued violationsat inUN Belarus,level towith backa turningreformed theand strengthened OHCHR examination of the human rights situation in Belarus into a fully independent investigative mechanism,and toby upholdpreserving the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus, andBelarus tofor furthercontinued accountabilityscrutiny throughover extraterritorialongoing andhuman universalrights jurisdiction;violations;

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 working tirelessly with democratic forces, civil society and independent media to benefit the people of Belarus;

Echoes the recommendation by OHCHR to further accountability through national proceedings based on accepted principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction and calls on Member States to ensure sufficient resources for the investigation of universal jurisdiction cases;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR,governments and parliaments of the Member States, the representativesCouncil of theEurope, Belarusianthe democraticOSCE, forces,OHCHR, the derepresentatives factoof Belarusianthe authorities,Belarusian thedemocratic UNforces and the OSCE.authorities of Belarus.