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

B90126/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on 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 the Lukashenka regime continues to perpetrate widespread and systematic politically motivated repression against the people of Belarus;

whereas in January 2024State Security Committee (KGB) officers conducted raids, interrogations and detentions targeting family members of political prisoners and former political prisoners on “extremism”-related charges, including some who had received assistance via the “INeedHelpBY” initiative; whereas the majority of the 200 detained are mothers and wives of political prisoners, including Marina Adamovich, wife of 2020 Sakharov Prize recipient Mikalai Statkevich;

whereas on 24 January, the Investigative Committee initiated a “special procedure” against 20 political analysts, journalists and sociologists dubbed “Tsikhanouskaya’s analysts” facing confiscation of property and the citizenship revocation if convicted;

Whereas in Belarus, political prisoners face egregious mistreatment, including torture and forced labour;

whereas the regime continues to expand the list of “extremist” organizations and materials;

whereas the latest crackdown precedes the parliamentary and local elections on 25 February; whereas the Lukashenka regime succeeded in liquidating and preventing democratic parties from participating in the elections;

1. Condemns the recent wave of persecution in Belarus, especially targeting women, and urges the Belarusian de facto authorities to immediately cease all repression, persecution and arbitrary detention of peaceful citizens;

2. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, whose number currently exceeds 1400, and their detained family members and restoration of their full rights, dropping of all charges against the so-called “Tsikhanouskaya’s analysts”, and reminds the Belarusian regime of its international obligations;

3. Reiterates its position on the lack of transparency, freedom and fairness of the forthcoming parliamentary and local elections in Belarus and calls on the EU, its Member States, and the international community not to recognise the results;

4. Calls on the HR/VP and the Council to respond by imposing additional sanctions on the regime and those responsible for serious human rights violations, including high-level officials and security forces, to further reduce diplomatic presence of Belarus in the EU, and to continue to support regime victims;

5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to enable the documentation of human rights violations in Belarus, to support the transformation of the OHCHR examination of the human rights situation in Belarus into a fully independent investigative mechanism, to uphold the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus and to support the investigation of universal jurisdiction cases;

6. Reiterates its solidarity with the people of Belarus and its support for their legitimate aspirations for a democratic and European future and remains committed to work tirelessly with representatives of democratic forces, civil society and independent media in benefit of the people of Belarus;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, Member States, the representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces, the de facto Belarusian authorities and the UN.