MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Belarus

10.5.2011

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Charles Tannock, Michał Tomasz Kamiński, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Marek Henryk Migalski, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Ryszard Czarnecki, Geoffrey Van Orden, Valdemar Tomaševski, Konrad Szymański, Mirosław Piotrowski, Paweł Robert Kowal on behalf of the ECR Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0334/2011

B7‑0339/2011

European Parliament resolution on Belarus

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus, in particular those of 10 March 2011, 20 January 2011 , 17 December 2009 and 22 May 2008 ,

–  having regard to the statement made in Brussels on 18 February 2011 by the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on the conviction and sentencing of a Belarusian opposition representative,

–  having regard to the Council conclusions on Belarus adopted at the 3065th Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 31 January 2011,

–  having regard to Council Decision 2011/69/CFSP of 31 January 2011 amending Council Decision 2010/639/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against certain officials of Belarus,

–  having regard to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Convention against Torture), to which Belarus is a state party,

–  having regard to the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,

–  having regard to the Independent Observation Report on Election of the President of the Republic of Belarus by Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections published on 11 February 2011,

–  having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the trials of Andrei Sannikov, one of the opposition presidential candidates and four other participants of the December democratic rally: Alekh Khnedchyk, Illia Vasilyevich, Fiodor Mirznayanav, Uladzimir Yaromienka have already started; whereas all of them are accused of inciting mass social unrest, for which they can be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison,

B. whereas Uladzimir Niaklajeu, Belarusian poet and writer and Amnesty International prisoner of consciousness, head of public campaign Say the Truth! and one of the opposition presidential candidates is accused of organising and the preparation of actions seriously violating public order and faces 3 years’ imprisonment, together with other activists of Say the Truth! campaign also accused in this trial;

C. whereas on 27 April 2011 a court in Minsk sentenced Dzmitry Bandarenka, coordinator of the European Belarus campaign, and close aide to former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau, to two years in a penal colony;

D. whereas Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, Aliaksandr Malchanau, Dzmitry Novik, Vasil Parfiankou and members of their electoral campaign teams, were sentenced to from two to four years' imprisonment in a high-security penal colony in connection with the demonstrations of 19 December 2010; whereas, as their lawyers have stated, the authorities failed to prove their guilt;

E. whereas police forces are still detaining people who were present at the democratic opposition demonstration of 19 December 2010;

F. whereas there is growing evidence that police are torturing people to force them to admit their alleged crimes against the state, including in the case of Olga Klasowska and the testimony of Ales Mikhalevic;

G. whereas human rights activists trying to prove the peaceful nature of the demonstrations of 19 December 2010 were held by the police on 4th May in the headquarters of the Human Rights Centre "Viasna";

H. whereas the Polish journalist, Andrzej Poczobut, was detained by the KGB in order to stop him from giving a testimony on the situation in Belarus to Members of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Belarus;

I. whereas the Belarusian government has already filed the suit against opposition newspapers, "Nasza Niwa" and "Narodnaja Wola" with the aim of closing them;

J. whereas Belarusian General Prosecutor's Office has ordered limited access to two independent portals: "Karta '97" and "Bielorusskij Partizan";

K. whereas according to the last Freedom House report on the freedom of press, Belarus is in the bottom ten states in the World on that list;

L. whereas the inaugural EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly meeting was held on 3rd May without any representatives from Belarus;

M. whereas Belarusian authorities signed Prague Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit in which it committed itself to "the principles of international law and to fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law and the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms";

 

1. Strongly condemns the continuous harassment and detentions of democratic opposition figures by the Lukashenko regime and calls Belarusian authorities to stop mass repressions targeted against civil society activists;

2. Condemns the trials of former opposition presidential candidates: Andrei Sannikov, Uladzimir Niaklajeu and Vital Rymasheuski and other civil society activist and calls for withdrawal of unfounded allegations against them;

3. Condemns the conviction of Dzmitry Bandarenka and all other already sentenced democratic opposition activists and calls for fair and free appeal proceedings for all oppositionist already sentenced by Belarusian Courts in relation to the 19 December demonstrations;

4. Condemns the detention and imprisonment of the Polish journalist Andrzej Poczobut and calls for his immediate release from prison and withdrawal of all charges against him;

5. Condemns the methods used by Belarusian police and KGB, including harassment and threats against opposition activists’ relatives, beatings and refusing of medical help for detained people;

6. Reiterates its call to release all of the opposition figures held in detention, to provide unhindered access to the detainees for relatives and medical care and to guarantee a fair and open trial to those accused in the criminal case of mass riot;

7. Condemns the detention of the International Observation Mission members and foreign journalists in Belarus and condemns all actions against human rights defenders conducted by the Belarusian authorities;

8. Condemns the persecution against the Belarusian free media including the procedure of enforced closure against two independent newspapers: "Nasza Niwa" and "Narodnaja Wola", limiting access to independent portals: "Karta '97" and "Bielorusskij Partizan", detention of journalists, numerous searches of private houses and editorial offices and confiscation of equipment by the Belarusian police;

9. Reiterates its call on the Commission to support, with all financial and political means, the efforts of Belarusian civil society, independent media (including TV Belsat, European Radio for Belarus, Radio Racja and others) and non-governmental organisations in Belarus to promote democracy and oppose the regime; sees the necessity to step up and facilitate the relations of Belarusian NGOs with the international NGO community; at the same time calls on the Commission to halt ongoing cooperation and to withdraw its assistance provided to the state-owned media in Belarus;

 

10. Reiterates its call on the EU and its Member States to increase their financial support to Belarusian civil society, independent media and NGOs;

 

11. Welcomes previous EU sanctions against representatives of the Belarusian regime and calls on the EU High Representative, the Commission and the Council to consider extension of sanctions;

 

12. 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, to the Commission, to the Council, to the Council of Europe and to the Parliament and Government of Belarus;