On the severe situation of political prisoners in Belarus

B100054/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the severe situation of political prisoners in Belarus

(2024/2804(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its numerous previous resolutions on Belarus since August 2020,

– having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure

whereas since the stolen presidential election of 9 August 2020 the Lukashenka regime has been exercising systematic repression against pro-democratic forces, political activists, civil society, independent media, trade unions and any voice of dissent as well as against those defending them;

whereas about 1,350 political prisoners remain in prison, tens of thousands have been arbitrarily detained and many subjected to ill-treatment;

1.Urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all remaining political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons, following last month’s pardon;

2.Expresses utmost concern about the unknown status of many political prisoners, among them Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Maria Kalesnikava, Mikalai Statkevich, Maksim Znak, Viktar Babaryka and Ihar Losik, some of whom have been held incommunicado for months or years already and reportedly are ill and subjected to ill-treatment and torture;

3.Urges the Belarusian authorities to comply with their international obligations to respect the human rights of detainees, inform about their whereabouts and wellbeing, provide necessary medical treatment and allow access for lawyers,d family members and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC);

4.Reiterates its call on the EU and its Member States to support the political prisoners and their families by seizing every opportunity to request their immediate release, summoning the regime’s ambassadors to ask for proof of their condition and location, granting humanitarian visas, providing rehabilitation, practical and financial support;

5.Expresses concern about the abuse of Interpol arrest warrants by the Lukashenka regime to achieve extradition of political opponents from third countries; calls in particular on EU candidate country Serbia to refrain from extraditing Belarusian journalist and activist Andrei Gnyot; calls on the EU and its Member States to monitor this case in Belgrade and to raise the abuse of international arrest warrants within Interpol;

6.Reiterates its solidarity with the people of Belarus whose legitimate aspirations for respect of their human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic rights deserve to be supported as actively as possible;

7.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 and of the Republic of Serbia, the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and to the representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces and the de facto authorities of the Republic of Belarus.