Communiqués

Joint statement by:

· the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and

· the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on the occasion of Belarus' Freedom Day

Brussels, 25 March 2023 - "Today, our thoughts are with the people of Belarus on the occasion of Freedom Day. 105 years ago, on 25 March 1918, the Belarusian People's Republic was proclaimed in Minsk. Although the Republic succumbed the next year under the assault of the Bolsheviks, it remains cherished in the memory of many Belarusians as a glorious episode in their country's history.

This Republic's legacy resonates today as the dictator who stole the 2020 presidential election, Aliaksandr Lukashenka, is trading Belarus' sovereign and national interests for keeping his personal power inside the country, even if it means becoming a mere vassal of the Kremlin and an accomplice in Vladimir Putin's atrocious war of aggression against Ukraine. Lukashenka's regime once tried to fool Europe with its so-called 'multi-vector foreign policy', but the masks are off now. In order to please his masters and sponsors, Lukashenka has not hesitated to turn his back on Belarusian history, cultural heritage and language.

As all-out repression against dissenting voices continues unabated, we stand in solidarity with all those who fight to live in a free, sovereign and democratic Belarus, and with all the political prisoners who have been deprived of their liberty solely because they wanted to exercise their fundamental rights or showed their attachment to their home country.

We strongly believe in the European future of the Belarusian nation and hope that it will achieve its well-being together with us.

Zhyve Belarus!"

Joint statement by:

• the Vice-President responsible for the Sakharov Network, MEP Heidi HAUTALA,
• the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, MEP Udo BULLMANN,
• the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and
• the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

Brussels, 3 March 2023 - "Today, a rubber-stamp court in Minsk found Sakharov Prize and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, founder of the Viasna human rights centre Ales Bialiatski guilty of 'smuggling' and 'grossly violating public order' and sentenced him to ten years in a penal colony and a heavy fine. His colleagues, member of the board of Viasna and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights Valianstin Stefanovic, and Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign coordinator Uladzimir Labkovich, were handed down sentences of nine and seven years, respectively, while human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou was sentenced to eight years in abstentia. [...]

Joint Statement by:

· the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and

· the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur for Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on the politically motivated trials of democratic forces and civil society figures in Belarus

Brussels, 23 January 2023 - "We condemn in the strongest terms the trial in abstentia that started last week against leaders of the Belarusian democratic forces. The Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is widely considered to be the real winner of the 2020 presidential election is being tried alongside figures of the Coordination Council - Maryia Damoz, Volha Kavalkova, Pavel Latushka and Siarhei Dyleuski on trumped-up charges of "inciting hatred" and creating "extremist groups". All five of them went into self-exile during the deadly crackdown on the mass protests triggered by electoral fraud and by Aliaksandr Lukashenka's refusal to concede his defeat and relinquish power.

Similarly, we are gravely concerned by the on-going, politically motivated trials of Sakharov Prize and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aleś Bialiatski, who devoted his entire life to promoting democratic change in Belarus, of two members of his Viasna human rights centre, Valyantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich, and of journalist and activist of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut.

There is no doubt that these sham trials aim to instigate fear, silence independent voices and close all remaining space for a genuine political debate in Belarus.

Joint Statement by:

• the Vice-President responsible for the Sakharov Network, MEP Heidi HAUTALA,
• the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS,
• the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, MEP Maria ARENA, and
• the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur for Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on democracy activist and Sakharov Prize laureate Maryia Kalesnikava's deteriorating health

Brussels, 30 November 2022 - "We are deeply alarmed by the recent reports pointing to a sharp deterioration in Maryia Kalesnikava's health.

A key figure of the democratic movement during the 2020 presidential election campaign in Belarus, Sakharov Prize laureate Maryia Kalesnikava resisted the illegitimate authorities' attempt to force her into exile. In reprisal, she was sentenced in September 2021 to 11 years in prison on trumped-up charges of 'harming national security'.

After suffering for many days from the harsh conditions of solitary confinement - the so-called 'punishment cell' of her Homyel prison, allegedly for 'being impolite', she was admitted in intensive care and underwent stomach surgery on Monday. [...]

Joint statement by:

· the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and

· the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on Lukashenka's regime's increasing involvement in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine

Brussels, 13 October 2022 - "Today, the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, reminded us during her visit to the European Parliament that an overwhelming majority of the people of Belarus are opposed to their country' involvement in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and are concerned about the future of their relations with the people of Ukraine.

Yet, earlier this week, Aliaksandr Lukashenka made unfounded accusations about alleged threats to Belarus emanating from Kyiv and the West, and claimed that neighbouring EU Member States were training Belarusian radical fighters. The illegal regime also announced that Belarusian troops would be deployed on the border with Ukraine alongside Russian forces. [...]

Joint statement by:

· the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and

· the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on the illegal detention of EU Chargé d'Affaires Evelina Schulz in Minsk

Brussels, 8 September 2022 - "On Tuesday, Ms Evelina Schulz, Chargé d'Affaires at the EU Delegation to Belarus, was detained for two hours at a police station in Minsk after attending yet another sham trial of political prisoners. Following this trial, Viasna Human Rights Centre's coordinator Marfa Rabkova and volunteer Andrei Chapiuk were sentenced to fifteen and six years in prison, respectively. [...]

Joint statement by:

· the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and

· the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on the second anniversary of the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus

Brussels, 9 August 2022 - "Two years have already passed since the massively falsified presidential election in Belarus. It also two years since the people of Belarus rose up against the dictatorship - they came out to vote in large numbers and then, in view of the massive frauds, hundreds of thousands of them rallied against the regime which stole the election.

It is painful to see that the people of Belarus have been experiencing systematic repression in its worst forms ever since. The regime has continued silencing any critical voices while, externally, Lukashenka has sold large swathes of his own country's sovereignty to his Kremlin sponsors. As a consequence, Belarus is increasingly looking like a Russian military district, acting as an accomplice in the Kremlin's horrendous war of aggression against Ukraine - all this against the will of the Belarusian people. These latest developments illustrate the fact that the fight against Lukashenka's illegitimate, dangerous regime is not only an internal matter for the Belarusians to settle: it is our concern as well, as it poses a clear threat to our entire continent, as illustrated by the last year's state-engineered migration crisis and by the diversion of the Ryanair civil flight which, as the ICAO confirmed, was planned and carried out purposefully by Lukashenka's security apparatus. [...]

Joint statement by:

· the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and

· the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on the ICAO conclusions on the diversion of Ryanair Flight FR4978

Brussels, 22 July 2022 - "We welcome the conclusions of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization on the incident involving Ryanair Flight FR4978 in the Belarusian airspace on 23 May 2021. Based on the facts outlined by the ICAO's special fact-finding investigation team, the ICAO Council has condemned the Belarusian authorities for committing purposefully an act of unlawful interference.

Joint statement by:

• the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and
• the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on the persecution of trade unions' leaders and representatives in Belarus

Brussels, 22 April 2022 - "We strongly condemn the latest crackdown on independent trade unions in Belarus, which has led to the arrest and detention of at least fourteen of their leaders and representatives in the past hours, including Aliaksandr Yarashuk, president of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP); Siarhei Antusevich, its vice-president; Aliaksandr Bukhvostau, president of Free Trade Union of Metal Workers (SPM); and Mikalaj Sharakh, president of Free Trade Union of Belarus (SPB).

Although the accusations levelled against them have not been publicly disclosed yet, their arrest, as well as the search of their offices by KGB agents, occurred shortly after the Belarusian regime branded independent unions as 'extremist' organisations.

These latest, outrageous developments demonstrate once again that all-out repression continues unabated in Belarus, as also illustrated by the recent arrest and detention of the editor of the independent Novy Chas newspaper, Aksana Kolb. [...]

Joint statement by:

· the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and

· the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

on the occasion of Belarus' Freedom Day

Brussels, 25 March 2022 -"On 25 March 1918, the Belarusian People's Republic was founded. Although the short-lived Republic succumbed the very next year to the Red Army's invasion, this event is one of the most momentous pages in Belarus' history.

The illegitimate strongman of Belarus, Aliaksandr Lukashenka, is attempting to re-write Belarusian history and to undermine the Belarusian cultural heritage. He is also willingly endangering the independence and sovereignty of his own country for the sole purpose of maintaining his grasp on power. Implicating Belarus as a co-aggressor in Russia's despicable, unprovoked war against Ukraine is a clear indication of Lukashenka's subservience to Moscow. [...]