MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION   on  the severe situation of political prisoners in Belarus

17.9.2024 - (2024/2804(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure

Sergey Lagodinsky, Mārtiņš Staķis, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Virginijus Sinkevičius
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B10-0026/2024

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B10‑0051/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the severe situation of political prisoners in Belarus

(2024/2804(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus,

– having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

1. whereas many of the over 1300 political prisoners in Belarus, including Maria Kalesnikava and other Sakharov laureates, are held in life-threatening conditions and have been held incommunicado for over eighteen months; whereas independent media and released prisoners report Kalesnikava’s alarming health conditions and abuse by prison authorities;
2. whereas the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus reports a severe intensification of repression of any form of opposition, along with continued ill treatment in detention, and deliberate denial of medical care, which has led to several deaths in prison;
3. whereas the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that some of the widespread, systematic, and gross human rights violations in Belarus may amount to crimes against humanity;

 

1. Continues to stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Belarus and demands the immediate and unconditional release of Maria Kalesnikava, Ihar Losik, Mikalai Statkevich, Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ales Bialiatski, Maxim Znak and all other political prisoners; welcomes the recent successful efforts to free political prisoners and Western citizens imprisoned in Russia and Belarus, regrets that Belarusian political prisoners could not profit from these efforts, calls on the EU and international community to redouble efforts to free them; 
2. Condemns the inhumane treatment of political prisoners and urges the Belarusian authorities to ensure necessary medical treatments and access to communication with lawyers and family for the aforementioned and all other political prisoners;
3. Reiterates its non-recognition of the election of Aleksandr Lukashenka as president of Belarus; denounces the continuing repression of democratic forces, free media and civil society and advocates for the continuation and expansion of EU support for those repressed;
4. Reiterates its call on the Commission and Member States to simplify the procedures for obtaining visas, residence permits and provisional identification documents for those fleeing Belarus for political reasons;
5. Calls on the EU and Member States to prepare procedures to deal with cases of statelessness of Belarusians in the EU who cannot return to Belarus to renew identity documents;
6. Echoes OHCHR’s recommendation for UN Member States to consider working towards accountability through national proceedings, based on accepted principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction, consistent with international due process;

 

7. Calls on the EU and Member States to ensure accountability efforts for international crimes committed by the Lukashenka regime are continued at UN level, including by providing full support to the newly established UN Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus for the collection of evidence of potential international crimes and to provide further authoritative legal qualification under international law of continuing grave abuses with a view to advancing accountability;

 

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, OHCHR, the representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces and the authorities of Belarus.