On the situation in Belarus, five years after the fraudulent presidential elections
B-10-2025-0455
on behalf of the ECR Group · Rapporteur: Adam Bielan, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Mariusz Kamiński, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Aurelijus Veryga, Alexandr Vondra, Maciej Wąsik, Roberts Zīle, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Michał Dworczyk
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This resolution rejects the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2025 presidential elections in Belarus and refuses to acknowledge Lukashenka as president, confirming Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.¶ It demands the release of all political prisoners, condemns repression and forced deportations, and calls for continued sanctions and support for democratic forces and independent media.¶¶¶ It condemns Belarus's role in Russia's war against Ukraine, including forced deportations of Ukrainian children, and calls for accountability, including an ICC arrest warrant for Lukashenka.¶ It also addresses persecution of minorities, religious groups, and journalists, and calls for enhanced EU support for Belarusian language, culture, and diaspora communities.¶¶¶
Key points
- Rejects the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2025 presidential elections and refuses to acknowledge Lukashenka as president, confirming Tsikhanouskaya as the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.¶
- Calls for maintaining and strengthening EU sanctions and political pressure until the regime halts repression, ends complicity in Russia's war, and supports accountability mechanisms.¶
- Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners without forced deportation, and an end to political persecution, torture, and arbitrary detention.¶
- Welcomes Lithuania's referral of the situation to the ICC and calls on other states to support accountability for crimes against humanity.¶
- Condemns the sentencing and ill-treatment of Andrzej Poczobut and calls for his release; expresses concern about the disappearance of Mikalai Statkevich and demands his whereabouts be disclosed.¶¶
- Supports Poland's demands for the handover of the murderers of Mateusz Sitek, a Polish soldier killed on the border in May 2024.¶
- Calls for increased support for independent Belarusian media and condemns the persecution of journalists, including Katsyaryna Andreeva.¶¶
- Condemns forced deportations of released prisoners and rejects narratives that repression is ending or that the regime is ready for dialogue.¶
- Warns that political engagement with the Lukashenka regime legitimises its rule and strengthens its propaganda.¶
- Condemns persecution of the Polish minority, including closure of Polish schools and destruction of heritage.¶
- Calls for enhanced assistance to democratic structures, protection of their members, and formal representation in international forums.¶¶¶
- Condemns suppression of religious life and calls for reinstating legal status of religious organisations; condemns forced Russification and calls for support for Belarusian language and culture.¶¶
Who is affected
- Belarusian political prisoners and their families, who are to be released without forced deportation.¶
- Belarusian democratic forces and diaspora, who are to receive enhanced support and legal status.¶¶¶
- Independent Belarusian media outlets, such as Radio Racyja and Charter97, which are to receive sustained EU funding.¶
- EU-based companies with Belarusian suppliers, which are called on to terminate relations if forced labour is used.¶
- Religious communities in Belarus, particularly Protestant and Greek-Catholic parishes, which face re-registration issues.¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- At least 13 500 arrests in the six days following the announcement of the 2020 election results.¶
- At least 8 519 people have faced criminal prosecution on political grounds since 2020.¶
- More than 100 000 cases of repression have been recorded.
- Over 1 100 individuals remain detained for political reasons.¶
- At least 45 media representatives detained and around 400 in exile.¶