On the need for actions to address the continued oppression and fake elections in Belarus

B100058/2025

European Parliament resolution on the need for actions to address the continued oppression and fake elections in Belarus

(2024/3014(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus,

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

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

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

A. whereas ever since peaceful protests broke out against the massively falsified presidential election of 9 August 2020, the Lukashenka regime, with Russian support, has been continuing its severe repression against the Belarusian people, with many citizens being harassed, arrested, tortured and convicted for expressing opposition to the regime or for protesting against the falsification of the election or the systematic human rights violations;

B. whereas, since 2020, tens of thousands of people have been arbitrarily detained and, as of January 2025, there remain 1 250 political prisoners in Belarus, many of whom suffer under life-threatening conditions.

C. whereas on 26 February 2024, the Council prolonged until 28 February 2025 the restrictive measures against Belarus linked to internal repression in the country and the regime’s support for the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine; whereas the Council is expected to prolong the restrictive measures once more;

D. whereas a so-called presidential election has been announced for 26 January 2025, which the democratic forces of Belarus are urging voters to boycott because of the continued repression, imprisonment or forced exile of opposition members, dismantlement of opposition parties, independent media, trade unions and civil society organisations, stripping of voting rights of Belarusians abroad, intimidation of voters, and lack of transparent vote counting and independent electoral observation;

1. Calls for an immediate end to the repression of the people of Belarus and reiterates its firm solidarity with all those who continue to fight the Lukashenka regime’s massive and systematic repression in Belarus;

2. Reiterates its concern about the situation regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms in Belarus, including the unabated systematic repression, the crackdown on the democratic opposition, civil society, independent media, trade unions, religious organisations and political parties, persistent impunity, and the structural lack of respect for due process and fair trials;

3. Reiterates that, in line with the principles of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the legitimate demands of the people of Belarus for democracy based on human rights, fundamental freedoms, prosperity, sovereignty and security must be met; reiterates its previous calls for new, free and fair elections to be organised under international observation by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR); stresses that any election held in the current atmosphere of fear and repression and in breach of all international standards cannot be considered free and fair;

4. Recalls that the EU and its Member States did not recognise the results of the 2020 presidential election, do not recognise Aliaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimate president of Belarus and will not therefore recognise his intended re-election for a seventh consecutive term in the so-called presidential election announced for 26 January 2025;

5. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, arrested or sentenced on politically motivated grounds, many of whom have been held incommunicado for months or years, have severe health problems and are subjected to isolation, ill-treatment and torture; urgently calls for all charges against them to be dropped and for their full rehabilitation and financial compensation for harm caused by their illegitimate detention; underlines the need, in the meantime, for information on their whereabouts and their detention conditions to be provided, as well as for their access to lawyers of their choice, the International Committee of the Red Cross, medical support and communication with family members to be ensured;

6. 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, practical and financial support; calls on the EU Delegation and the Member State embassies in Belarus to continue observing and monitoring the trials of all political prisoners wherever possible; encourages the Council and the Commission to identify novel avenues to work towards the release of all political prisoners;

7. Calls on the Council to broaden and strengthen the sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for the repression and electoral fraud in Belarus and to target all individuals complicit in the regime’s repression, including judges, prosecutors and law enforcement, prison and penal colony officials;

8. Calls on the Commission, the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Member States to continue raising the situation in Belarus in all relevant European and international organisations, in particular the OSCE, the UN and its specialised bodies and the International Labour Organization, with the aim of enhancing international scrutiny of the human rights violations and galvanising the international community into action on the situation in Belarus;

9. Calls for the EU and its Member States to work towards holding the Lukashenka regime accountable for all its crimes against the people of Belarus and to apply the principle of universal jurisdiction;

10. Urges the Commission and the Member States to continue assisting Belarusian democratic forces, civil society and independent media and to explore new avenues to foster people-to-people contact with Belarus; encourages the representatives of the democratic forces of Belarus to maintain and promote unity, based on the objective of a free, democratic and independent Belarus, among all Belarusian democratic forces and civil society;

11. Expresses concern about persecution committed in exile, such as the abuse of Interpol arrest warrants by the Lukashenka regime to bring about the extradition of political opponents from non-EU countries; calls, therefore, on the countries concerned not to extradite Belarusian citizens who have fled the regime and may face persecution on their return to Belarus; calls for the EU and its Member States to raise the abuse of international arrest warrants with Interpol;

12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces and the de facto authorities of the Republic of Belarus.