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

B100059/2025

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 Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas Belarus remains engulfed in a severe climate of political repression and human rights violations under the rule of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who, since gaining power in 1994, has suppressed the opposition and transformed Belarus into an authoritarian state; whereas this authoritarian grip has tightened since the fraudulent 2020 presidential election, and the regime has continued to systematically dismantle democratic processes, silence dissent and consolidate its control over society, and whereas this repression continues to manifest itself in orchestrated elections, widespread human rights abuses and the suppression of civil society;

B. whereas both the parliamentary and local elections held on 25 February 2024, and the upcoming presidential election on 26 January 2025, exemplify the regime’s disregard for democratic norms as elections in Belarus are tightly controlled, with all candidates pre-approved by the authorities, opposition parties eliminated and voters denied any real choice; whereas the Lukashenka regime has fostered an atmosphere of fear and intimidation aimed at suppressing political dissent, muzzling freedom of expression and preventing peaceful assembly;

C. whereas the Belarusian Government’s decision to not invite the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to observe the upcoming presidential election on 26 January 2025 showcases the severity of the country’s situation, sending a clear signal about its detrimental impact on the country’s democratic development;

D. whereas since the fraudulent 2020 presidential election, the regime has intensified its campaign of arrests and repression, and as of December 2024, there are 1 265 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and key political figures such as Mikalai Kazlou and Pavel Seviarynets, as well as journalist and Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut, human rights activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk and other journalists and activists that have been forced into exile; whereas the daily arrests and inhumane detention conditions further demonstrate the regime’s brutal suppression of dissent, creating a prevalent climate of fear and intimidation;

E. whereas the repression in Belarus extends beyond the political opposition, affecting a wide spectrum of societal groups such as independent journalists, human rights defenders, trade union leaders, national, ethnic and religious minorities, as well as ordinary citizens who are all facing censorship, forced exile, economic coercion and property deprivation; whereas peaceful protests are effectively impossible across the country, with individuals facing severe persecution for expressing dissent online or in public as the regime’s actions have fostered a culture of impunity within the state apparatus, enabling widespread human rights violations without accountability;

F. whereas a particularly alarming development is the attack on religious freedom through the recently adopted law on freedom of conscience and religious organisations that mandates the re-registration of all religious entities by 5 July 2025; whereas this threatens the existence of hundreds of religious communities and grossly violates the fundamental right to freedom of conscience; whereas this crackdown has also extended to the politically motivated persecution of religious leaders, exemplified by the recent sentencing of a Catholic priest, Henrykh Akalatovich, to 11 years in prison on fabricated charges of high treason, marking the first such case against the Catholic clergy in Belarus; whereas the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus has noted the systematic purging of civil society organisations since 2020, targeting human rights groups, independent trade unions, political parties and now religious organisations;

G. whereas in the face of this dire situation, Belarusians are pursuing a multifaceted strategy by rejecting the legitimacy of the upcoming presidential election, labelling it a sham designed to solidify the dictatorship and efforts are being made to expose the lack of democratic conditions, to document human rights violations and to mobilise Belarusians through democratic means and creative forms of resistance, including by marking ‘against all’ on ballots;

H. whereas the regime in Minsk’s continued support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine remains a significant geopolitical concern for the EU; whereas the EU strongly condemns Belarus’s complicity in enabling Russia’s military actions and calls on the regime to immediately cease such support and honour its international obligations, given that Belarus has consistently played an active role in facilitating Russia’s war efforts, further destabilising the region;

I. whereas the mutual visa recognition agreement between Belarus and Russia that recently entered into force allows foreign citizens and stateless individuals holding a visa from either country to freely transit, enter or stay within both territories; whereas this has significant implications for the EU; whereas such an agreement represents another step towards the creeping annexation of Belarus by Russia, effectively turning Belarus into an extension of Russia’s borders, and may also make it easier for individuals, including those under EU sanctions, to travel closer to EU borders via Belarus or Russia;

1. Rejects the legitimacy of the upcoming presidential election on 26 January 2025 in Belarus, labelling it a sham designed to solidify Lukashenka’s dictatorship, and refuses to acknowledge Lukashenka’s legitimacy as president;

2. Emphasises the need to conduct a thorough investigation into the crimes perpetrated by the Lukashenka regime against the Belarusian people and encourages the EU Member States to actively invoke the principle of universal jurisdiction and initiate legal proceedings against Belarusian officials, including Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who are accountable for or complicit in systematic violence, repression and crimes against humanity and should be treated in a similar manner to Putin under international law and by the International Criminal Court for crimes related to the abduction of Ukrainian children;

3. Underlines its unwavering support for democratic forces across Belarus and calls for strong international pressure, urging the global community to isolate the Lukashenka regime and support Belarusian civil society representatives both within the country and in exile;

4. Condemns the forced Russification of Belarusian culture and history, including the systematic exclusion of the Belarusian language from schools and public spaces;

5. Emphasises the need for enhanced financial and defence support for eastern European countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to counterbalance Russia-Belarus integration and for the intensification of sanctions targeting Belarusian and Russian officials or entities benefiting from the mutual visa recognition agreement;

6. Calls for the EU and its Member States to find feasible solutions to hold the Lukashenka regime accountable for its crimes and to apply the principle of universal jurisdiction;

7. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all Belarusian political prisoners and urges the Belarusian authorities to uphold the human rights of detainees by providing transparent information about their situation, ensuring access to the necessary medical care and granting unrestricted access to lawyers, family members and the International Committee of the Red Cross;

8. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the European External Action Service (EEAS), in response to the Belarus-Russia mutual visa recognition agreement, to enhance border security and the monitoring of the EU’s external borders to prevent the agreement from being exploited for unlawful activities or sanctions evasion, and to reinforce and synchronise sanctions, close loopholes and adopt a new sanctions package – in particular on potash and fertilisers – in order to address ongoing repression and electoral fraud and active support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine;

9. Calls on the Member States to continue to support Belarusian civil society and opposition forces in order to counteract the regime’s growing dependency on Russia and to promote democratic reforms, while also informing EU citizens and entities of the security risks and sanctions implications of travelling to Belarus or Russia, insisting that Belarus must not become a geopolitical pawn or trophy for Vladimir Putin; stresses the importance of resisting the malicious actions of Lukashenka and Russia aimed at undermining Belarus’s sovereignty and identity;

10. Reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the people of Belarus and their rightful aspirations for a democratic and European future; remains dedicated to collaborating closely with democratic forces, civil society and independent media to promote freedom, democracy and prosperity for the benefit of the Belarusian people;

11. Strongly condemns the Lukashenka regime’s weaponisation of migration as a tool to destabilise neighbouring EU Member States, as this is a deliberate tactic of orchestrating irregular migration flows that violates human rights, exploits vulnerable individuals for political purposes and undermines regional stability;

12. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the EEAS to develop a firm and coordinated response to counter this hybrid threat of weaponising migration while ensuring the protection of the EU’s external borders;

13. 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 and the authorities of the Republic of Belarus.