On The new wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members
B-9-2024-0110
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, Malte Gallée, Markéta Gregorová, Francisco Guerreiro, Tineke Strik, Hannah Neumann, Heidi Hautala, Bronis Ropė, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Erik Marquardt
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This is a motion for a resolution on the new wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members. Parliament condemns the arrests, demands the release of all political prisoners, and calls for easier visas and residence permits for Belarusians fleeing political repression.¶¶ It reiterates its non-recognition of Lukashenka's election as president and denounces repression of democratic forces, free media and civil society.¶ It calls on Member States to continue accountability efforts for international crimes at UN level and through national proceedings based on extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction.¶¶
Key points
- Parliament condemns the recent wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.¶
- It stands in solidarity with the people of Belarus and reiterates its non-recognition of the election of Aleksandr Lukashenka as president.¶
- It denounces the continuing repression of democratic forces, free media and civil society through politically motivated show trials.
- It reiterates its call on the Commission and Member States to simplify procedures for visas and residence permits for those fleeing Belarus for political reasons.¶
- It asks them to prepare rules and procedures to deal with cases of statelessness.
- It asks for support for Belarusians in the EU whose identity documents are about to expire and who cannot renew them without returning to Belarus.
- It calls on Member States to ensure that documentation and accountability efforts for international crimes committed by the Lukashenka regime continue at UN level.¶
- It calls for a reformed and strengthened OHCHR examination of the human rights situation in Belarus and for preserving the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus.
- It echoes the OHCHR recommendation to further accountability through national proceedings based on extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction.¶
- It calls on Member States to ensure sufficient resources for the investigation of universal jurisdiction cases.
Who is affected
- Belarusian opposition activists and their family members, who face mass arrests and detentions.¶¶
- Belarusians fleeing political repression, who would benefit from simplified visa and residence permit procedures.¶
- Belarusians in the EU whose identity documents are about to expire and cannot be renewed without returning to Belarus.
- Member States, which are asked to simplify procedures, prepare rules on statelessness, and ensure resources for universal jurisdiction cases.¶
- The Commission, which is asked to simplify visa and residence permit procedures.
Figures and deadlines
- over 200 family members of political prisoners and former political prisoners targeted in January 2024 raids, interrogations and detentions¶
- 15 days of so-called administrative detention for Maryna Adamovich for “petty hooliganism”¶
- 25 January, when Belarusian authorities launched a criminal investigation into a group of twenty analysts, journalists and commentators¶
- 25 February, the date of the parliamentary “elections”¶