On the new wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members:

B90116

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the new wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members:

(2024/2550(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus,

having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas in January 2024 the Lukashenko regime unleashed a new wave of persecution, including intimidation and attacks on the families of political prisoners and prominent critical voices in Belarusian society; whereas human rights activists have confirmed at least 200 new arrests as a result of the recent repression; whereas at least 160 female family members have been detained, including Maryna Adamovich, wife of 2020 Sakharov Prize winner Mikalai Statkevich, Tatsiana Sieviaryniec, mother of imprisoned opposition leader Paval Sieviaryniec, and Darya Losik, wife of imprisoned activist Ihar Losik,

whereas the regime’s Investigative Committee has launched the so-called "special procedure", consisting of criminal investigation and trial in absentia, against 20 political analysts, journalists and sociologists, accusing them of providing support and expertise to the office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,

whereas, as the Lukashenka regime prepares for the so-called "unified voting day" of parliamentary and local elections on 25 February 2024, many decent Belarusians are further being persecuted, such as the leader of the United Civil Party, Mikalai Kazlou, the leader of the BPF party, Ryhor Kastusiou who despite being diagnosed with cancer, was sent to prison,

whereas Lukashenka's government is trying to bring religious institutions under its control by closing churches and restricting religious freedoms, making Belarus the world’s second country with the highest number of imprisoned priests,

whereas the regime is continuing its persecution of national minorities, calling for an end to Polish language teaching in schools and intimidating teachers and students; whereas representatives of the regime are threatening more than 160 000 Pole's Card holders with repression,

whereas the scale of human rights violations in Belarus is so great and their nature so brutal that, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, they can be defined as ‘crimes against humanity’.

Considers the taking of relatives of political prisoners hostage to be a particularly cynical and inhuman form of repression with signs of torture and demands immediate release of all the political prisoners and members of their families; calls for investigations by relevant international institutions and more frequent use of universal jurisdiction

Calls on EU governments and international institutions to provide support to the families of activists and political prisoners facing repression, to establish support mechanisms for those released from prison and to provide them with the necessary medical, psychological and legal aid,

Calls for an end to the regime's persecution of minorities in Belarus, to review and reconsider the new Religion Law to ensure that it complies with Belarus' international human rights obligations,

Reiterates its call for additional sanctions to be imposed on the Lukashenka regime and those personally responsible for serious human rights violations,

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HRVP, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, UN, IRC, the authorities of Belarus and the Belarusian democratic forces.