Komunikati

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 the Belarus Freedom day

Brussels, 25 March 2024 - We congratulate all Belarusians across the world, who on 25 March commemorate the declaration of independence. 106 years ago, in 1918, sovereign Belarus was born after 150 years of Russian occupation.

Today, the sovereignty and independence of Belarus is under threat again. By permitting Russia to use the Belarusian territory to invade Ukraine, station Iskander missiles and deploy tactical nuclear weapons, the Lukashenka's regime has effectively ceded Belarus' sovereignty to Vladimir Putin.

Amidst Russia's attempts at progressive takeover of Belarus in all spheres - political, social, economic and military, we reiterate our unwavering support to the courageous people of Belarus who continue to uphold the legacy of the first independent, free and democratic Belar us, and strive for a European future of their homeland. [...]

EU must further strengthen and extend its sanctions against the Lukashenka's regime for its human rights violations and for participating in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. We must also stop Russia's de facto occupation and imminent annexation of Belarus by continuing to support Ukraine and ensuring its victory.

Joint statement by:

• the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, MEP David McALLISTER
• 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 parliamentary and local "elections" held in Belarus on 25 February 2024

Brussels, 26 February 2024 - "On Sunday 25 February, so called parliamentary and local "elections" were held in Belarus, the first elections since the fraudulent 2020 presidential ballot that triggered an unprecedented wave of mass protests around the country.

We have been following closely the developments preceding the parliamentary and the local "elections" held on 25 February.

We regret that the "elections" took place without the participation of independent local or international observers such as an OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observation mission.

It is clear that elections held in current restrictive and repressive environment impeded Belarusian citizens to exercise their fundamental right to cast a free and unbiased vote for a candidate of their choice. The "election" process failed to meet basic democratic standards. [...]

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 ongoing repression and waves of arbitrary detentions of family members of political prisoners in Belarus

Brussels, 31 January 2024 - "We strongly condemn the ongoing wave of repression by Lukashenka's regime against democratic opposition, human right defenders, political prisoners, as well as the constant persecution of their relatives and lawyers. The recent raids and searches at the houses of political prisoners by the regime's security apparatus resulted in more than 200 arrests. According to the human rights centre "Viasna" majority of the arrested are women, wives and mothers of political prisoners including Maryna Adamovich, wife of political prisoner, former presidential candidate, and 2020 Sakharov Prize laureate Mikаlai Statkevich. We are appalled by such gender-based targeting and call upon immediate and unconditional release of arrested women and other family members of political prisoners.

At the same time, additional charges were added to the case of 20 renowned Belarusian political scientists, journalists and experts, the so-called Tsikhanouskaya analysts, who are being charged in absentia and could even lose their Belarusian citizenship if convicted. These latest criminal acts must be met with a complementary response from the EU and the West in the form of increased pressure on the regime in the form of sanctions. [...]

Brussels, 9 August 2023 - "We mark today the third anniversary of the massively falsified presidential election in Belarus.

To our greatest dismay, Belarus is facing its darkest hours since it re-gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. For his very own, selfish political purposes, self-proclaimed President Lukashenka is allowing a rampant, pernicious absorption of Belarus by Russia, as exemplified by his regime's complicity in Moscow's war of aggression against Ukraine and horrendous crimes, such as the forceful deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children, by President Putin's announced decision to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarus' territory, or by the on-going re-location of Wagner Group mercenaries in the vicinity of the EU's and NATO's border.

Inside the country, the human rights situation has become catastrophic and is still further worsening, as illustrated by the provocative decision to place prominent civil society activists and leaders of the democratic forces, including the real winner of the 2020 presidential election, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, on the KGB's so-called 'terrorist list'. The fact that no less than four Sakharov Prize laureates - Ales Bialiatski (also a Nobel Peace Prize winner), Maryia Kalesnikava, Mikalai Statkevich and Siarhei Tsikhanouski - are now imprisoned, with little or no information on their welfare and that of many other political prisoners, is a vivid illustration of this dire situation. Our thoughts also go to Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, a jailed activist of the European Belarus Civil Campaign, who was severely beaten in prison in June after spending months in a punishment cell and disappeared since then.

We express condolences to all families who have lost loved ones as a result of the repression exerted by the illegitimate regime - in this respect, our thoughts go in particular to Vitold Ashurak, Mikalaj Klimovich and Ales Pushkin, inmates who have lost their lives in the past months because of ill-treatment suffered in prison.

We reiterate our call on the international community to stay firm in further expanding and thoroughly enforcing sanctions against Lukashenka's regime, as well as our call on the EU to implement the remainder of the recommendations formulated in the European Parliament recommendations of 17 September 2020, 26 November 2020, 10 June 2021, 7 October 2021, 19 May 2022, 24 November 2022, 15 March 2023 and 11 May 2023 on Belarus.

We will continue to stand in solidarity for as long as it takes with all those who fight to live in a free, sovereign and democratic Belarus, no matter where they are, and we will spare no effort to see that regime officials who have committed or been complicit in grave human rights violations are brought to justice. To this end, we urge EU Member States and like-minded partners to use extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction to hold them accountable for their crimes.

Zhyve Belarus!"

For further information contact:

Eastern Partnership and Russia Unit, tel. +32 2 284 66 71, e-mail: D-BY@ep.europa.eu

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. [...]