Przewodniczący. – Kolejnym punktem porządku dziennego jest debata nad sześcioma projektami rezolucji w sprawie Zjednoczonych Emiratów Arabskich, w szczególności sytuacji obrońcy praw człowieka Ahmeda Mansoora (2018/2862(RSP)).
Barbara Lochbihler, Verfasserin. – Herr Präsident! Ich möchte zur urgency reden zu den Vereinigten Arabischen Staaten. Gut, jetzt ist es korrigiert worden, das war vorher falsch angezeigt.
Also nochmal: In den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten werden fundamentale Menschenrechte verletzt. Regierungskritiker werden verhaftet und in unfairen Prozessen zu Haftstrafen verurteilt. Amnesty International zufolge werden Gefangene unter Bedingungen festgehalten, die Folter gleichkommen. Foltervorwürfe werden aber von den Behörden ignoriert.
Im Mai wurde der prominente Menschenrechtsverteidiger Ahmad Mansur in Abu Dhabi zu einer zehnjährigen Haftstrafe verurteilt, dabei wurden ihm Straftatbestände vorgeworfen, die nichts anderes sind als legitime Meinungsäußerungen. Aufgrund seiner Menschenrechtsarbeit ist Ahmad Mansur bereits seit Jahren Repressionen ausgesetzt. UN-Menschenrechtsexperten fordern nach seiner Inhaftierung im März 2017 seine unverzügliche Freilassung. Neben ihm verbüßen eine Reihe weiterer gewaltloser politischer Gefangener lange Haftstrafen, darunter auch Dr. Mohammed al-Roken. Wir fordern in unserer Entschließung die sofortige und bedingungslose Freilassung von Ahmad Mansur sowie aller anderen inhaftierten gewaltlosen politischen Gefangenen in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten.
Ich finde es sehr befremdlich, dass die konservativen Fraktionen, die EKR und die EVP, diese fundamentalen menschenrechtlichen Forderungen nicht mittragen wollen, und appelliere daher an alle Kollegen und Kolleginnen, sich für die Freilassung von Ahmad Mansur einzusetzen und klar für diese Entschließung zu stimmen.
Przewodniczący. – Przepraszam, rzeczywiście jest omyłka. Przypominam: debatujemy na temat Zjednoczonych Emiratów Arabskich, w szczególności sytuacji obrońcy praw człowieka Ahmeda Mansoora. Co innego jest wyświetlane na ekranach, ale to jest pomyłka.
Amjad Bashir, author. – Mr President, the United Arab Emirates is a key ally of the European Union in the Arabian Gulf, but we ought to remind ourselves that, when the UAE cut ties with Qatar last year, the Emirati Attorney General warned that citizens expressing sympathy for Qatar could face heavy fines and prison sentences of up to 15 years. In this respect, this House must be crystal clear that freedom of expression and the respect of freedoms for individuals is not just a mere human rights issue. It is profoundly about lasting peace and prosperity in the region. Rule of law is essentially about protecting the citizen from the unjust acts of the government and the state, not the other way round. I can only, therefore, hope that, if the UAE complies with the United Nations Declaration on human rights defenders, we may then have a chance of seeing brotherly nations united again in promoting peace, security and prosperity in the Middle East.
Soraya Post, author. – Mr President, at a time when we see an increasing number of human rights defenders harassed for doing their legitimate work, we also see that the situation in the United Arab Emirates is extremely concerning. Human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor is in prison for allegedly publishing false information to damage the UAE’s reputation abroad. What is actually damaging the Emirates’ reputation abroad is the violation of the right to freedom of expression.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Ahmed Mansoor and all other human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience. How can EU Member States continue trading arms and security equipment with UAE? How can the EU maintain its visa waiver programme with UAE when they clearly violate the human rights clause it is based on? I call on the EU to condemn the treatment of Mansoor and clearly and loudly call for his release. I say again that the EU must uphold human rights clauses in our international agreements and trade policies.
Marietje Schaake, author. – Mr President, the ambitions of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seem endless. They praise themselves as young and high tech, and a country that has realised extraordinary growth. It hosts many international conferences and seeks a more active role on the global stage. Reputation is key for the UAE and I’m convinced that the arrest of Ahmed Mansoor, over tweets he sent, and the way he has been treated since, have not helped at all in this respect.
But of course we’re not here to give the UAE any PR advice. We are here to condemn human rights violations when they occur. Mr Mansoor has been recognised as a courageous human rights defender. He was the winner of the Martin Ennals Award and served as an adviser to Human Rights Watch. He is now in solitary confinement in secret detention. He is not allowed to contact family, has not been able to appoint an independent lawyer and has seen his passport revoked. Around USD 1 million have been invested in an Israeli-made digital surveillance system to track Mr Mansoor and his communications. I believe that it is essential that such systems, that are also made in Europe, are not exported to authorities that violate human rights and that we set a new high standard in updating our own export control rules.
In the case of Mr Mansoor, we see his actions as falling within the rights to freedom of expression and call on the UAE authorities to release him. We also urge a review of the federal law combating cybercrimes to ensure that it is actually in line with international standards. I think it is essential that High Representative Mogherini also speak out, in unequivocal terms, about the case of Ahmed Mansoor, including during the next human rights dialogue with the Gulf States. To anyone in Europe considering a holiday in the UAE, it is important to know what can happen after you send a tweet or when you ask for democratic elections. I find it hardly an invitation.
Marie-Christine Vergiat, auteure. – Monsieur le Président, il y a longtemps que nous n’avions pas réussi à mettre à l’ordre du jour la question des droits de l’homme dans les Émirats arabes unis. Dans cette maison, les pays du Golfe ont beaucoup d’amis, et c’est particulièrement vrai pour les Émirats, seul pays de la région à bénéficier d’une libéralisation des visas.
Les Émirats sont l’un des pays du monde qui acceptent le plus d’immigrés. Ainsi, Dubaï ne compte que 5 % d’Émiratis. Il y a bien quelques exemples d’«Occidentaux» travaillant dans les multinationales (y compris des jeunes victimes de discriminations ici, malgré leurs diplômes, et accueillis là-bas avec des ponts d’or), mais la majorité sont des ouvriers embauchés pour de grands travaux pharaoniques et des domestiques – surtout des femmes – victimes du système de la Kafala, qui en fait des esclaves des temps modernes.
Mais, on le sait, les Émirats sont de bons clients. La France et l’Allemagne, mais également Israël, leur ont fourni des logiciels d’espionnage pour surveiller leurs citoyens, notamment les défenseurs des droits de l’homme, comme Ahmed Mansour, Ossama Al-Najjar et Nasser Bin Ghaith.
Pire, la France est l’un de leurs principaux fournisseurs d’armes via un système de corruption qui vient récemment d’être révélé par les médias français. Ces armes sont utilisées au Yémen, au mépris du traité sur le commerce des armes et avec la crise humanitaire que l’on sait.
Alors, oui, il faut mettre en place d’urgence un embargo sur les ventes d’armes, exiger des Émiratis qu’ils respectent leurs engagements internationaux et qu’ils libèrent tous les prisonniers d’opinion, et il nous faut exiger de nos États qu’ils respectent aussi leurs engagements.
Tomáš Zdechovský,Autor. – Pane předsedající, myslím si, že Evropská lidová strana vždycky byla na straně těch, kteří jsou ve světě pronásledováni. Proto nám nebyl ani vzdálen případ Ahmada Mansúra, bojovníka za lidská práva, který byl odsouzen za pomluvu, dezinformace a porušování veřejného pořádku, což jsou věci, které my v Evropské unii rozhodně nestíháme.
Ahmad byl odsouzen na 10 let do vězení a já se ztotožňuji s tím, že je potřeba vést s tamní vládou dialog, zda toto rozhodnutí neporušuje zásady právního státu. Bohužel ale nejsme spokojeni jako Evropská lidová strana s finálním textem této rezoluce. Namísto toho, abychom se drželi faktů, jsme tam uvedli spoustu ideologických a nesmyslných věcí, které můžete vyvrátit za pět minut studia celého případu na Googlu. Myslím si, že bychom měli jako Evropský parlament být více důvěryhodní a snažit se opravdu v našich rezolucích držet se faktů a ne domněnek a ideologických frází.
Julie Ward, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, the human rights situation continues to deteriorate in the Gulf. The EU and its Member States must therefore take a serious stand against attacks perpetrated against human rights defenders by all our partners. The arrest and sentencing of Ahmed Mansoor earlier this year was already of great concern. Unfortunately, our fears have been confirmed by reports of ill-treatment that he was subjected to whilst in detention. This is not unusual. Information suggesting he has had no access to his family or to legal counsel has also been reported.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government must immediately and unconditionally release Ahmed Mansoor and drop all charges against him. He is a political prisoner who has been detained solely for expressing his views on social media.
Discriminations against women also continue to be part of daily life in UAE. There are severe restrictions in their freedom of movement, as women are still dependent on male guardians. As in many places in the Gulf, women’s rights defenders are unfairly attacked, harassed and prevented from conducting peaceful human rights activities.
The situation of labour rights is also very problematic, with widespread abusive practices by employers.
The EU must continue to demand significant progress on human rights in the Emirates. As European governments and companies continue to conduct billions worth of trade and investment, we have all the more responsibility to demand that the highest human rights standards be upheld.
Miguel Urbán Crespo, en nombre del Grupo GUE/NGL. – Señor presidente, en 2015 Ahmed Mansur ya denunciaba que las autoridades de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos detenían a personas críticas con el Gobierno. Las hacían desaparecer durante meses, empleaban violencia sexual y torturas para obtener confesiones, y las condenaban en juicios sin ningún tipo de garantías. Hoy, por sus denuncias y publicaciones en redes sociales, este defensor de los derechos humanos está encarcelado y ha sufrido torturas.
Rara vez se abordan las violaciones de derechos humanos que se cometen en este supuesto país aliado de la Unión Europea. Un país donde bajo el paraguas de la lucha contra el terrorismo se violan los derechos más básicos; donde las autoridades restringen arbitrariamente la libertad de expresión y penalizan las críticas pacíficas a políticos o a funcionarios del Estado; un lugar donde se están utilizando armas y tecnologías de vigilancia cibernéticas proporcionadas por empresas europeas para llevar a cabo esta represión. Sin nuestras armas no sería posible gran parte de la represión que se da allí.
El propio Mansur fue espiado con estos programas. De hecho, sostiene que la causa de gran parte de la violencia en la región es la desesperación. Y el extremismo crece cuando la esperanza de un cambio pacífico se desvanece. No podemos seguir impulsando esta desesperanza. Tenemos que exigir la libertad de los presos políticos, el cese inmediato de las torturas, así como un verdadero embargo de armas y de equipos de vigilancia, porque no podemos ser cómplices de los actos de represión y tortura que se cometen en los Emiratos Árabes Unidos.
Más allá de declaraciones, hay que tomar partido. Hay que hacer un embargo de armas.
Ignazio Corrao, a nome del gruppo EFDD. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, anche l'ultima voce libera degli Emirati Arabi è stata messa a tacere. Ahmed Mansoor era l'ultimo attivista rimasto negli Emirati che ha osato criticare pubblicamente le autorità, pagando questo grave affronto con una condanna a dieci anni di prigione.
Possiamo ancora tollerare questo atteggiamento degli Emirati Arabi verso i diritti umani e verso coloro i quali osano anche nominarli? D'altronde, mi chiedo cosa possiamo aspettarci da un paese che si posiziona al 116° posto nell'indice di libertà umana e dove chi esprime simpatia per il Qatar rischia fino a quindici anni di carcere.
In un paese campione per la limitazione dei diritti fondamentali, merita una menzione particolare la legge antiterrorismo, che contiene un'ampia e volutamente vaga definizione del reato e fornisce alle autorità ampi poteri per perseguire dissidenti e attivisti. Ritengo pertanto doveroso, da parte nostra, esortare gli Stati membri a vigilare affinché dal Vecchio continente non arrivino negli Emirati strumenti di sorveglianza, che poi vengono sistematicamente usati per controllare gli oppositori politici.
Vorrei esortare infine l'Alto rappresentante a prendere una posizione chiara e decisa sul caso Mansoor richiedendone il rilascio immediato e incondizionato.
Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, au nom du groupe ENF. – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, certains États musulmans ont, contrairement à nos pays, compris le danger mortel des Frères musulmans pour les libertés. Les Émirats, avec d’autres pays, ont classé cette organisation comme terroriste. Ils font preuve de lucidité et protègent leur population, alors que l’Occident est souvent aveuglé par le double langage et la séduction des Frères.
Les Émirats sont victimes, depuis 2011, de manipulation et de l’ingérence du Qatar qui se sert des Frères musulmans à cette fin. M. Mansour est, consciemment ou non, un agent de ce complot. Il est affilié aux Frères musulmans, il participe au Gulf Center for Human Rights, organisation financée en grande partie par M. Soros, maître de l’alliance de la finance, du crime et du terrorisme pour déstabiliser nos États et les États.
Chers collègues, nous devons absolument soutenir les Émirats dans leur lutte contre le terrorisme, il y va de notre intérêt. J’ajoute que le roi avait accordé sa grâce à ce délinquant et que nous sommes en face d’un récidiviste.
Wajid Khan (S&D). – Mr President, Ahmed Mansoor has become a symbol of the ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and association in the UAE. He has been harassed and persecuted by the Emirati authorities for many years since his first arrest in 2011, when he openly called for political reforms in the country. Last May, Ahmed was sentenced to 10 years in prison for expressing his views on Twitter.
The UAE is trying to project an image of openness and modernism as part of its Vision 2021 Agenda. Dissenting voices are silenced through repressive laws, and human rights defenders have no space to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of retaliation. The Emirates’ poor record on fundamental freedoms was remarked on by the UN Commissioner on Human Rights in his periodical review only a few months ago.
We urge the UAE Government to free Ahmed Mansoor immediately and bring its legislation in line with international human rights standards. We would expect nothing less from a country that is part of the UN Human Rights Council.
Neena Gill (S&D). – Mr President, we’ve already heard about the human rights defender, Ahmed Mansoor, who has been incarcerated for ten years because he exercised his right to express his views online. Mansoor’s only crime was peacefully promoting freedom of expression and strengthening the role of the MPs in his country. Not only did he face repeated death threats, physical assaults and detention, but he has been denied access to a lawyer, his visitation rights have been suspended and he has allegedly been subjected to torture. The ruling highlights an unabashed and blatant use of over—the—top state security to target human rights defenders in the UAE.
Many Emirati and other activists face repression, arbitrary arrests and abductions by security authorities, who are unaccountable for their actions. So my question to the Commission is: what has the EU done to address forced disappearances while negotiating the recent Cooperation Agreement with the UAE? Secondly, Ahmed Mansoor has filed a Supreme Court appeal against his sentence. How can the EU ensure a timely and fair appeal trial? Thirdly, the UAE’s repressive cybercrime law was amended this week, introducing harsher penalties and sanctions. Will the Commission raise this issue and that of the electronic surveillance of human rights activists in its annual counterterrorism dialogue?
Zgłoszenia z sali
José Inácio Faria (PPE). – Ahmed Mansoor era, até ao passado mês de maio, uma das últimas vozes abertamente críticas das violações dos direitos humanos nos Emirados Árabes Unidos que ainda permanecia em liberdade. Depois de anos de agressões e de ameaças de morte foi, em março de 2017, detido arbitrariamente e, agora, condenado a dez anos de prisão e a uma pesada pena pecuniária. O crime deste eminente ativista que, de forma pacífica, reivindicava nas redes sociais o respeito pelos direitos humanos e pelos princípios do Estado de Direito, incluindo a possibilidade de realização de eleições por sufrágio universal direto, chama-se, na verdade, exercício de liberdade de expressão e não uma tentativa de perturbação da harmonia social e da unidade do país, como pretende acusar o regime.
A União Europeia não pode, pois, deixar de condenar veementemente a prisão de Ahmed Mansoor, de exigir a libertação imediata e incondicional deste e de todos os outros presos políticos de consciência e de instar a Federação dos Sete Emirados a cumprir as suas obrigações internacionais em matéria de direitos humanos, incluindo a abolição da tortura e da pena de morte e a implementar as reformas constitucionais que garantam o respeito pelas liberdades individuais e uma efetiva separação de poderes.
Seán Kelly (PPE). – A Uachtaráin, tá gaol tábhachtach againn le AEA agus tá dul chun cinn an-mhaith á dhéanamh acu maidir le cúrsaí geilleagair agus mar sin de. Ach, ag an am céanna, ní maith an rud é nach bhfuil saoirse ag chuile dhuine sa tír agus is eiseamláir é Ahmed Mansoor den chás seo. Tá sé i bpríosún toisc gur nocht sé a smaointe go hoscailte sna meáin sóisialta. Níor aontaigh sé leis an rialtas agus ní raibh an rialtas sásta agus anois tá sé i bpríosún le fada gan a phas aige agus rudaí mar sin.
Dá bhrí sin, is ceart go bpléifimis a chás anseo ar maidin, go gcuirfimis brú ar AEA é a ligean saor, agus daoine nach é chomh maith, i dtreo is - má tá dul chun cinn á dhéanamh acu ó thaobh cúrsaí eacnamaíochta agus mar sin de - go mbeadh saoirsí bunúsacha ag chuile dhuine agus, go háirithe, Ahmed Mansoor.
Νότης Μαριάς (ECR). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, στα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα, όπως και στις υπόλοιπες χώρες της Αραβικής Χερσονήσου, δεν υπάρχει καν η έννοια της δημοκρατίας, διότι εκεί υπάρχει πλήρης καταπίεση των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων. Οι ακτιβιστές βασανίζονται, οι bloggers διώκονται, υπάρχουν ταξιδιωτικοί περιορισμοί για τους αντιφρονούντες. Στα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα συνεχίζονται οι διακρίσεις κατά των γυναικών και δεν τηρούνται οποιαδήποτε εργασιακά δικαιώματα, συνεχίζει δε να υπάρχει η θανατική ποινή.
Νομίζω λοιπόν ότι η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση πρέπει να στείλει ένα αποφασιστικό μήνυμα προς τα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα, τα οποία συμμετέχουν στη σφαγή που γίνεται στην Υεμένη και στα οποία πωλούν όπλα οι ευρωπαϊκές εταιρείες παραγωγής και πώλησης όπλων. Θεωρώ ότι πρέπει να ληφθούν συγκεκριμένα μέτρα προς τα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα, όχι χαϊδέματα πλέον προς αυτούς από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση.
Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, finalmente riusciamo a parlare di Ahmed Mansoor, noto blogger emiratino, fino a più di un anno fa l'unica voce indipendente, non ancora in prigione, a denunciare le numerose violazioni dei diritti umani negli Emirati.
Mansoor è stato condannato a dieci anni di carcere per aver pubblicato sui social media informazioni false e promosso settarismo e odio. In realtà, a noi sembra che abbia solo esercitato pacificamente i suoi diritti in un paese che, lo ricordo, siede eletto nel Consiglio dei diritti umani delle Nazioni Unite, per quanto assurdo possa sembrare, ma quel che più sorprende in questa situazione è come sempre il nostro atteggiamento come Unione, abbastanza ambiguo e ipocrita.
Da una parte, ci definiamo campioni per eccellenza della protezione dei diritti umani, dall'altra, continuiamo imperterriti a fornire software spia a regimi con dubbia democraticità che li useranno per perseguitare e ridurre al silenzio tutte le voci critiche. A gran voce, chiediamo la liberazione immediata e incondizionata di Mansoor e di tutti gli altri prigionieri di coscienza. L'UE deve prendere una posizione forte e chiara quando si tratta di diritti umani, dobbiamo sospendere le licenze di export di tecnologie e sorveglianza e di armi verso questi paesi, non possiamo più renderci complici silenziosi, privilegiando i profitti a scapito delle persone.
Stanislav Polčák (PPE). – Pane předsedající, já se chci zastat pana Ahmada Mansúra a volat po jeho propuštění, ale nemohu nechat bez reakce jedno vyjádření našeho kolegy, pana Schaffhausera, ten jako jediný v tomto plénu řekl, že pan Mansúr má zůstat ve vězení. Já toto vyjádření pokládám za maximálně pobuřující. Pan Schaffhauser už zde tedy nesedí, nicméně si myslím, že je skutečně pobuřující, aby se člen Parlamentu vyjadřoval tímto způsobem.
Pro mě je důležité zde sdělit, že v Perském zálivu se situace obecně zhoršuje, pokud jde o porušování lidských práv, a nemůžeme mlčet ani v případě Spojených arabských emirátů. Pokud pan Mansúr je vězněn v podmínkách, které se podobají mučení, nemá kontakt s advokátem, myslím si, že v takovou chvíli my musíme zvednout náš hlas. Samozřejmě je otázkou volba konkrétního znění toho návrhu usnesení. I já zde nejsem spokojen s určitými větami, nicméně chci požádat o to, aby pan Mansúr byl propuštěn.
Paul Rübig (PPE). – Herr Präsident! Für mich steht fest, dass die Meinungsfreiheit eine der Errungenschaften insbesondere in der Europäischen Union ist. Trotzdem haben wir eine Debatte über den Brexit, über Personenfreizügigkeit. Ich glaube, dass wir auch in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten sehr kompetente Politiker haben. In vielen Gesprächen, die wir dort geführt haben, haben wir gesehen, dass es auch in der Politik dort viele gibt, die mit unseren europäischen Werten leben wollen und die sehr wohl zu schätzen wissen, was Europa seinen Bürgern dementsprechend bietet. Deshalb glaube ich, dass wir die Zusammenarbeit vor allem auch mit dem Schura-Rat verstärken sollten, und damit wir bei Reisen in die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate und natürlich auch hier an den Sitz des Europäischen Parlaments diese prinzipiellen Themen der Meinungsfreiheit, auch die journalistische Freiheit, als eine Bereicherung für die gesamte Kultur dementsprechend anbieten können. Aus unseren praktischen Erfahrungen haben wir gelernt, dass es die beste Methode ist, miteinander zu reden.
(Koniec zgłoszeń z sali)
Elżbieta Bieńkowska,Member of the Commission. – Mr President, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the first Gulf country with which the EU started a comprehensive dialogue on human rights, with the most recent eighth meeting taking place at beginning of July in Abu Dhabi. Since the first meeting in 2013, we have addressed several areas of concern and have seen improvements, for example, with regard to gender issues and religious tolerance.
Nevertheless, of course, concerns remain in a number of areas: freedom of expression and association, the right to a fair trial, and the situation of human rights defenders, including individual cases, are among the points we have raised consistently during our dialogue. We continue to advocate a cooperative and transparent engagement in which the EU can support the UAE in its endeavours to fulfil its international human rights commitments.
As a first concrete step, we have been insisting on the need for enhanced information exchange. Despite challenges, there is no alternative to continued engagement in this domain.
In the EU, through our delegation in Abu Dhabi, we actively follow the overall human rights situation in the country, including individual cases. The case of Ahmed Mansoor is one case we have been actively following. Mr Mansoor, who was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2015, was sentenced in May this year to ten years’ imprisonment on charges related to the publication of false information and the spreading of hatred and sectarianism.
We are regularly seeking clarification from the Emirati authorities on his situation, his whereabouts and his health, as well as details on the judicial process and the appeal procedure. In doing so, we have constantly reiterated the EU’s principled position on human rights defenders and on freedom of expressions, in line with existing EU guidelines.
Let me also assure you that we will remain actively engaged in this individual case. We will also continue to raise the general human rights situation with the Emirati institutions. We are of course aware of countries’ concerns over their stability and security, but we are quite convinced that one cannot have long-term stability without respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Przewodniczący. – Zamykam debatę.
Głosowanie odbędzie się po zakończeniu debat.
Oświadczenia pisemne (art. 162)
Monica Macovei (ECR), in writing. – The Belarusian media is faced with numerous challenges brought about by repressive and restrictive laws. In recent years, the nation has seen a deterioration of media freedom, notably targeting independent journalists and news outlets.
In 2017, 100 journalists were arrested or detained, many of whom were covering opposition protests or reporting on issues considered unfavourable to the presidential administration. In recent months, new restrictions have led to increasing arrests, surveillance, libels, and fines against journalists. These National Media Laws create a system of extreme government censorship that directly contradicts the fundamental freedoms protected by the Belarusian constitution. Access to Charter97.org, a news site calling for democracy and pro-human rights, was arbitrarily blocked by the Ministry of Information, displaying an excessive restriction on the right to freedom of expression.
Furthermore, in August, two independent news outlets were raided by Belarusian authorities, leading to the arrests of nine journalists. It is actions like this that have resulted in Belarus being placed at 155 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Belarusian authorities need to strengthen respect for democratic principles and the right for truthful and unbiased journalism to prevent the climate for independent media from worsening.