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Procedure : 2020/2882(RSP)
Document stages in plenary
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Texts tabled :

RC-B9-0389/2020

Debates :

PV 26/11/2020 - 8.3
CRE 26/11/2020 - 8.3

Votes :

PV 26/11/2020 - 10
PV 26/11/2020 - 16

Texts adopted :

P9_TA(2020)0331

Verbatim report of proceedings
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Thursday, 26 November 2020 - Brussels Revised edition

8.3. The continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka
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PV
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  President. – The next item is the debate on five motions for resolutions on the continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka (2020/2882(RSP)).

 
  
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  Viola Von Cramon-Taubadel, author. – Mr President, on 10 November, on the symbolically named Square of Changes, a young artist, Raman Bandarenka, was beaten to death by Lukashenko’s regime. Raman is not the first brutally murdered victim, but it is our responsibility to make sure that he will be the last. The alleged murderers of Raman include the Chairman of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation. Yet, the main culprit in this is Lukashenko himself. He is responsible for 100 political prisoners, for over 20 000 illegally-detained people and for all the citizens who have been kidnapped, beaten, tortured and raped. He is responsible for personally spreading shameless lies about Bandarenka and then prosecuting the brave doctor and the journalist who dared to refute his lies.

Ironically, he is also responsible for the awakening democratic spirit and the civic responsibility among Belarusians. The thousands of men and women who march in the streets, hang out flags and extend hope and solidarity to each other are the unstoppable forces of good. They will prevail over Lukashenko’s brutal dictatorship.

We in the EU have a responsibility towards our fellow Europeans, the people of Belarus. In their fight we can support them by including family members who underpin Lukashenko’s regime to the sanction list. Every assistance by international donors to Lukashenko should stop immediately, and private investors should also follow this example. We should impose separate sanctions on the energy and chemical sector. The Ice Hockey World Championships should not take place in Belarus. People who are forced to flee Belarus should be able to find shelter in the EU. Visa requirements for them must be simplified or even scrapped.

The EU should further mobilise the international community in delegitimising Lukashenko and making sure that the Square of Changes where Bandarenka was beaten to death becomes a country of changes where democracy beats dictatorship.

(Appalause)

 
  
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  Robert Biedroń, author. – Mr President, Raman Bandarenka was born on 1 August 1989 in Minsk. He graduated from the Minsk Academy of Fine Arts, worked as a store manager and conducted painting workshops for children. He lived in a block of flats on Charviakova Street. One evening, a group of masked men appeared and began to tear off the white-red-white ribbons, the symbol of the Belarusian Opposition. Raman found out from the residents’ chats about this accident and wrote ‘I’m leaving, but he never returned home. He died in hospital as a result of having been beaten by unknown perpetrators. He died young. Raman was only 31 years old and will never see Belarus free and independent. He is the latest victim of Lukashenko and his regime.

This is not happening in some distant place. This is happening right now, right on our doorstep in the last European dictatorship. These are the real lives of real people. This is a real fight for freedom and dignity.

This is another of the European Parliament resolutions on Belarus in thelast months with concrete calls for action. I have a feeling that there’s a lot of talk, but little walk, from the EU side, Commissioner. Let us not water it down, Commissioner.

Zyvie Belarus!

(Applause)

 
  
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  Dace Melbārde, Autore. – Godātais sēdes vadītāj! Protesti un streiki Baltkrievijā pret nozagtām vēlēšanām, cilvēktiesību pārkāpumiem un kopumā drūmo ekonomisko un politisko situāciju valstī turpinās jau krietni ilgāk nekā simts dienas. Baltkrievu tauta skaidri un nepārprotami izrāda savu nostāju — valstij ir jāmainās, un Lukašenko ir jāaiziet.

Tāpēc ne tikai nav iespējams, bet ir klaji bīstami runāt par dialoga veidošanu vai attiecību normalizēšanu ar režīmu, kurš brutāli apspiež tautas pašnoteikšanos, cilvēktiesības un brīvības, kā arī aktīvi vēršas ne tikai pret opozicionāriem un protestētājiem, bet arī pret žurnālistiem un netkarīgiem medijiem. Aizturēto demonstrantu skaits jau tuvojas trīsdesmit tūkstošu atzīmei, un vardarības pielietošana pret tautu, mēs redzam, pieņemas spēkā.

Trīsdesmit vienu gadu vecā mākslinieka Romāna Bondarenko slepkavība ir traģiska un nosodāma. Mums ir kopīgi jāapzinās, ka tieši Lukašenko režīms ir radījis šādu bezlikumīgu un vardarbības pilnu vidi, kur cilvēka dzīvības vērtība tiek degradēta.

Godātie kolēģi, mēs nedrīkstam nonākt situācijā, kurā Eiropas Savienība kļūst imūna pret notikumu attīstību Baltkrievijā. Tas, ka protesti turpinās par spīti pieaugošajām represijām, skaidri parāda baltkrievu tautas nesalaužamo apņēmību un gribasspēku. Baltkrievijas cilvēkiem ir nepieciešams mūsu atbalsts, līdzīgi kā mēs — trīs Baltijas valstis — to ieguvām, kad cīnījāmies par savu neatkarību astoņdesmito gadu beigās un deviņdesmito gadu sākumā.

Eiropas Savienībai un tās dalībvalstīm Baltkrievijā ir aktīvi jāatbalsta gan neatkarīgās pilsoniskās sabiedrības organizācijas, gan neatkarīgie žurnālisti un mediji, gan mākslinieciskā un radošā brīvība, ko pārstāv neatkarīgie mākslinieki. Tāpat Eiropas Savienībai ir iespēja izdarīt ne tikai spēcīgu politisku spiedienu, bet arī ekonomisku spiedienu, tostarp, apturot jebkādas Eiropas Savienības finansējuma izmaksas Baltkrievijas valdībai un valsts kontrolētiem projektiem, kā arī aktīvi sankcionējot valsts režīmam pietuvinātos.

 
  
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  Petras Auštrevičius, author. – Mr President, today, as for the past one hundred and more days, we stand together with the Belarusian people. We support their struggle for freedom, democracy, dignity and the right to choose their own destiny. We mourn the young lives lost, share the pain incurred by the innocent people, and demand justice.

Raman Bandarenka was an art teacher with a character of defender. His last act of bravery was on 11 November when he came out to defend demolition of the Square of Changes. Another peace-seeking person was lost to the violence and brutality of Lukashenko’s regime. How long can this last? How many more thousands of brave Belarusians need to be tortured and violated until we get our act together?

The urgency of our actions is the only thing that matters now. This House has been calling for solidarity, support and sanctions for months. The substantial EU support must immediately reach Belarusian civil society. We need to support the documentation and investigation of crimes perpetrated by the Lukashenko regime and work together with international institutions to bring those responsible to account. Furthermore, our sanctions have to be expanded into targeting Lukashenko regime-linked companies and oligarchs.

The longer we delay our support and restrictive measures, the more Raman Bandarenkas will be brutally killed. Are we ready to pay such a price for our inaction?

Zyvie Belarus!

 
  
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  Miriam Lexmann, author. – Mr President, I am sickened by the death of Raman Bandarenka and the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus. Lukashenko and his regime must be held accountable for this terrible situation.

Across the political spectrum, this House has been clear about its support for the Belarusian people in their struggle for freedom and democracy. At the same time, while I welcome today’s resolution and thank my colleagues from the different groups for their support, I believe that action is more important than words.

I welcome that the Council has finally adopted targeted sanctions against those responsible for the repressions, and I am glad that more sanctions against the perpetrators of the repressions are currently being prepared. We must ensure that all crimes have consequences and that the perpetrators will one day be brought to justice. It is also important that we ensure that the Lukashenko regime will not benefit from EU activities and funds. Instead, our assistance must be given to the Belarusian people and used to support a democratic Belarus.

The EPP Group strongly supports the creation of a European Parliament High—Level Mission to help stop the violence, assist in freeing political prisoners, and create an environment for a national dialogue that can lead to new free and fair elections. The Parliament must use all its weight to support the Belarusian people, and I believe the High—Level Mission is an important part of that.

The European Parliament and Union must stand with the people of Belarus and support the people’s hope to live in a free, democratic, prosperous and sovereign country. This was the hope of Raman Bandarenka and the other victims of the repressions, of the hundreds of thousands of people who continue in peaceful demonstrations, of the workers who go on strike, and of the political prisoners, including my dear friend Pavel Sevyarynets, who are kept in appalling conditions. We owe it to these people to be resolute, not just in our words but, above all, in our actions.

Zyvie Belarus!

 
  
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  Andrius Kubilius, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, it’s important that today we are discussing the situation in Belarus, but we need urgent actions today, not only urgency resolutions. The Lukashenko regime implements against the people of Belarus what we need to call ‘internal terrorism’: six people killed, including the last one – Raman Bandarenka, hundreds of political prisoners, almost 30 000 protesters put in jail during the first three months after election day.

What do we need to do with the Lukashenko regime? The same that we did with other terrorist regimes – tough, deep economic sanctions to private and state-owned companies, which are important to the Lukashenko regime, sanctions on SWIFT operations, clear road to international Tribunal, etc.

Punishment with sanctions should be targeted not only to terrorist regime itself, but also to ‘terrorism supporters’. Kremlin needs to know that if they will continue to support the Lukashenko terrorist regime, sanctions will hit also the Kremlin.

Zyvie Belarus!

 
  
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  Jytte Guteland, för S&D-gruppen. – Herr talman! Den 12 november dog den då 31-årige Raman Bandarenka i Minsk. Han dog på grund av de skador han åsamkats i en brutal misshandel av civilklädda poliser. Aljaksandr Lukasjenkas skenval i augusti var droppen för belarusierna, men makten slår nu dövörat till när folket ropar efter fria val, frihet, och när de skanderar mot polisvåldet, korruptionen, det oligarkiska ledarskapet som ser efter inga andra än sig själva. I månad efter månad har upprörande scener utspelat sig på gator och torg. De systematiska övergreppen som skett måste utredas, och ansvariga måste ställas till svars. EU:s sanktioner mot makten i Belarus är viktiga för att förmå Lukasjenka att ändra inriktning. Politiska fångar måste släppas, media måste kunna rapportera och den växande demokratirörelsen måste kunna verka fritt. Vi i EU, vi ska vara lika uthålliga som folket i Belarus. Leve Belarus!

 
  
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  Nicola Beer, im Namen der Renew-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident! Die elfjährige Tochter von Hanna Sunhurava denkt heute noch, ihre Mama sei auf Dienstreise. Doch ihre Mutter wurde verhaftet, wegen ihrer Teilnahme an Demonstrationen für faire und freie Wahlen. Tag für Tag zahlen Belarussen jeden Alters – teilweise sogar mit ihrem Leben – dafür, Demokratie in die Tat umzusetzen. Diesen beharrlichen, diesen entschlossenen Kampf der Belarussen können wir nicht kämpfen, aber unterstützen kann ihn jeder: Ich habe für Hanna eine Gefangenenpatenschaft übernommen.

Schicksale wie die von Hanna hätten jedoch vermieden werden können mit einer Politik, die den zahllosen Entschließungen zu gefälschten Wahlergebnissen, zur Inhaftierung und Folterung von Demonstranten auch Taten hätte folgen lassen. Die Belarussen zeigen uns, was eine aktive Zivilgesellschaft erreichen kann und dass die Macht wahrlich beim Volke liegt.

Vor allem aber lehrt uns Belarus einmal mehr, was wir als Europäische Union brauchen: nämlich, dass wir endlich handlungsfähiger werden müssen. Wenn aus Symbolpolitik echte Außenpolitik werden soll, kommen wir hier an der Einführung einer qualifizierten Mehrheitsentscheidung nicht vorbei.

 
  
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  Markéta Gregorová, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, ‘I am going out’. These were the last words of Raman Bandarenka before he was kidnapped and beaten to death by men in plain clothes. His words were sent to a group chat on Telegram, the encrypted messaging app which is shielding millions of Belarusian citizens from the government’s internet censorship. This tragedy, one on an already long list, epitomises the current state of things in Belarus. An illegitimate government keeps denying its own people fundamental human rights by way of illegal detentions, torture and even murder.

It should be evident by now that the sanctions issued, until this moment, have failed to produce results. The regime did not take even a single step back so we must take a step forward. It is time to introduce further restrictive measures, direct them more at Lukashenko himself, and ban the export of any European goods and technology that are helping this regime, such as drones and spyware.

 
  
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  Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, w imieniu grupy ECR. – Panie Przewodniczący! Moja przedmówczyni przywołała słowa Ramana Bandarenki, ostatnie słowa, które skierował do swoich sąsiadów na komunikatorze społecznym. To słowa - wychodzę. Wyszedł i niestety już do swojego mieszkania nie wrócił, zamordowany przez oprawców Łukaszenki. Ten młody, nowy bohater przyszłej wolnej, demokratycznej Białorusi na pewno przechodzi do jej historii, na jej najpiękniejszych kartach. Ta sytuacja, która dzisiaj u naszego sąsiada, bo Polska wraz z Litwą jest państwem zewnętrznym Unii Europejskiej, ale jesteśmy sąsiadami Białorusi. Dzisiaj naszym celem jest uczynić wszystko, aby Białoruś dołączyła do wspólnoty demokratycznych, suwerennych i niepodległych państw. Rząd polski, rząd pana premiera Mateusza Morawieckiego przygotował szczegółowy planSolidarni z Białorusią. Jest to plan skierowany przede wszystkim do ludzi młodych. Pomoc dla tych, którzy dzisiaj protestują na ulicach Mińska i innych białoruskich miast, musi owocować tym, o czym już mówiłem. Białoruś będzie wolna, niepodległa, demokratyczna, suwerenna. [Na zakończenie poseł powiedział po białorusku „Niech żyje Białoruś”.]

 
  
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  Manu Pineda, en nombre del Grupo GUE/NGL. – Señor presidente, no voy a centrar mi intervención en Bielorrusia. No, al menos, de forma exclusiva. Porque en este asunto es imposible distinguir qué es información y qué propaganda, y prefiero que lo veamos en un contexto más amplio.

Me gustaría hacer una reflexión sobre la política de vecindad de la Unión Europea. Si miramos los países que forman parte del Acuerdo de Asociación Oriental —Bielorrusia, Ucrania, Moldavia, Georgia, Armenia y Azerbaiyán—, en todos ellos hay algún conflicto, un conflicto abierto de mayor o menor intensidad.

Creo que podemos concluir que algo no estamos haciendo bien, o que podíamos hacerlo mejor. Consideramos que es necesario reorientar nuestras políticas hacia un diálogo sincero. Esto implica reconstruir, reconducir el objetivo actual, que no es más que la integración de estos países en el mercado único a cualquier coste. Creo que estamos a tiempo de cambiar y de fomentar las relaciones basadas en el respeto a los derechos humanos, a la soberanía de los pueblos y en mutuo beneficio. Que la Unión Europea sea, en definitiva, un instrumento para solucionar los problemas y no para agravarlos entrando en una competición con otros actores para expandir nuestra zona de influencia.

 
  
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  Andrzej Halicki (PPE). – Panie Przewodniczący! Niestety taka dyskusja mogłaby się odbywać co tydzień. Co tydzień giną młodzi ludzie, terror narasta, protesty nie maleją. Białoruś walczy o swoją wolność i my musimy pomóc Białorusi jak najszybciej. Nie ma już czasu na kolejne debaty, nadszedł czas na działanie, na szybkie działanie. Oczekujemy od Rady podjęcia odważnych i szybkich decyzji. Sankcje personalne – nie kilkanaście osób, a kilkaset, może nawet kilka tysięcy członków tej organizacji terrorystycznej, jaką jest OMON, powinno trafić na takie listy. Sankcje gospodarcze to nie czas na debatę, to czas na powrót do sankcji z 2012 roku.

Myślę także, że Parlament Europejski ma decyzje, które powinien podjąć. Przecież uchwaliliśmy rezolucję, w której high level mission było poparte przez 590 europarlamentarzystów – to konkret. Panie Przewodniczący, czas na decyzję, czas na rozpoczęcie śledztwa w sprawie morderstw. Możemy to czynić jako parlamentarzyści. Czas na biuro w Brukseli dla demokratycznej opozycji. Musimy z nimi współpracować codziennie.

 
  
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  Robert Hajšel (S&D). – Mr President, Raman Bandarenka’s death is the latest breaking point in months of mass protests against Lukashenko. The Belarusian authorities continue to attack those who peacefully demonstrate in the streets of the cities for their freedom. The personal sanctions that the EU has imposed on several Belarussian officials are not resulting in any influence on the political process in the country. The time has arrived for the EU to mobilise any possible economic and political instrument. We can’t leave the people of Belarus alone and the EU must set up a mechanism that assists victims of state repression, including financial aid to strikers and also visa regime for all Belarusians.

Finally, it’s important to stress that we are not here to tell the Belarusian people which path they should follow. It’s up to them to decide their own future whether they want to have deeper EU integration or to stay in close relations with the Russians. We have to respect the choice made by people of Belarus, and if the choice is to integrate Belarus to the EU, I will be only very, very happy. What we are doing now is that we urge the stop of violence. Belarus deserves better. Žyvie, Belaruś.

 
  
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  Charles Goerens (Renew). – Monsieur le Président, le président biélorusse perd des élections et prétend les avoir gagnées. Le président américain perd les élections et prétend les avoir gagnées. Alors me direz-vous, blanc bonnet et bonnet blanc. Est-ce la même chose? Non, ce n’est pas la même chose, parce que dans le premier cas le président reste, tandis que dans le deuxième cas, quoi que dise le président sortant, il doit céder la place à son successeur. Et c’est le caractère démocratique du deuxième pays, les États-Unis en l’occurrence, qui fait toute la différence. Une démocratie résiliente ne peut résister aux pires dérives de ses dirigeants.

Alors, il ne suffit pas de rester admiratifs devant le peuple biélorusse qui porte tout le fardeau sur ses épaules, nous pouvons bien entendu exprimer notre sympathie, être à ses côtés, avant tout moralement, mais la clé du problème est détenue par Moscou. Nous devons inclure Poutine dans une meilleure diplomatie européenne, puisqu’il dirige la seule puissance extérieure capable de peser sur le destin de la Biélorussie.

 
  
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  Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, I want to address my words today to all those brave people, women and men in Belarus, who have been protesting peacefully against this brutal, murderous regime since last August, and now it has murdered Raman Bandarenka. Our message is clear: we continue to be with you, you are not forgotten, we are standing in solidarity with your fight for freedom and democracy.

Colleagues, torture and ill treatment against peaceful protests has become commonplace –is the message of the new United Nations (UN) report. The recently published expert report by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has found massive and systemic human rights violations in Belarus.

The EU must do everything it can to fulfil the key recommendations by the OSCE to establish an independent international body for the investigation of human rights violations and to bring the authorities responsible for torture and inhuman treatment to justice. And let me add, it’s out of the question that Minsk could host next year’s ice hockey world championship.

 
  
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  Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL). – Herr Präsident! Wie viele Menschen müssen noch umkommen, die sich friedlich für Demokratie und Neuwahlen einsetzen? Bandarenka hat die brutalen Vergeltungsmaßnahmen Lukaschenkos nicht überlebt und starb am 12. November an seinen schweren Verletzungen. Seiner Familie und seinen Freunden gehört meine aufrichtige Anteilnahme. Auch den Tausenden willkürlich und unrechtmäßig Inhaftierten, darunter MitstreiterInnen unserer linken Partnerpartei Fair World, GewerkschafterInnen, JournalistInnen und so vielen anderen gilt unsere uneingeschränkte Solidarität und Hochachtung für mutiges Eintreten für Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit.

Sicherlich: Die Protestierenden haben unterschiedliche Vorstellungen über den weiteren Weg in eine gerechte, allen Menschen gute Arbeit und ein selbstbestimmtes Leben ermöglichende Zukunft in Belarus. Sie eint aber die auf der Straße gewonnene Erkenntnis: Ohne freie Meinungsäußerung und Teilhabe an gesellschaftlich-politischen Entscheidungen wird Belarus diese Zukunft nicht haben.

Deshalb muss Lukaschenko endlich einsehen: Sein Volk hat ihn nicht gewählt. Belarus braucht dringend eine friedliche und demokratische Lösung der gegenwärtigen Krise durch freie und faire Neuwahlen sowie einen integrativen nationalen Dialog aller BelarussInnen.

 
  
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  Isabel Wiseler-Lima (PPE). – Monsieur le Président, parfois, il nous faut un visage pour abolir la distance. Aujourd’hui, c’est le visage de Roman Bondarenko. Roman avait 30 ans, Roman était professeur, il était artiste, il avait une famille. Comme des centaines de milliers d’autres Biélorusses, il a marqué son opposition au pouvoir en place de manière tout à fait pacifique. Et comme des milliers d’autres Biélorusses, simplement pour avoir manifesté son désaccord, il a subi injustices et violences. Ils sont si nombreux à avoir été arrêtés, battus, torturés, violés. Roman est mort des coups qui lui ont été infligés. Comme lui, d’autres sont morts et d’autres encore ont disparu.

Nous ne cesserons pas, dans l’enceinte de ce Parlement, de dénoncer les violations des droits de l’homme sous le régime de Loukachenko et nous continuerons à soutenir le peuple biélorusse dans sa lutte pour de nouvelles élections libres et justes. Les sanctions européennes doivent être élargies. Les soutiens à la société civile, aux journalistes et aux défenseurs des droits de l’homme doivent être amplifiés.

Notre prochain rendez-vous avec le peuple biélorusse sera la remise du Prix Sakharov, un honneur pour le Parlement européen. Vive les Biélorusses!

 
  
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  Jakop G. Dalunde (Verts/ALE). – Herr talman! Situationen i Belarus blir allt värre. Protesterna fortsätter med oförminskad styrka. Samtidigt visar den diktatoriska regimen fortfarande ingen som helst vilja till dialog, och rapporterna om polisbrutalitet blir allt värre. Senast om det fruktansvärda mordet på Raman Bandarenka.

När vi nu är inne i den fjärde månaden av protester är det lätt för oss att tappa fokus. Uppmärksamheten flyttas till andra nyheter. Det är då än viktigare för oss att inte vika ner blicken. Att fortsätta uppmärksamma det belarusiska folkets kamp för demokrati. De ska veta att vi fortfarande står på deras sida. För det belarusiska folkets kamp för frihet och rättvisa, det är också vår kamp. En förlust för deras kamp för demokrati är också vår förlust.

Vi måste fortsätta stödja demokratirörelsen på alla sätt vi kan och fördöma och bestraffa varje brott som Lukasjenka och hans anhang utför, nu och så länge regimens förtryck fortsätter. Leve Belarus!

 
  
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  Radosław Sikorski (PPE). – Mr President, one thing we can do for the people of Belarus right now is to bring in the European Magnitsky Act, a swift sanctions mechanism that should cover not only those involved in repression, but also their families and partners. Maybe then they’ll get it. I’m aware that whatever we do will not bring back the life of Raman Bandarenka nor do I have illusions that the fascist regime will release the prisoner I have adopted, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, whose crime it was to hope to stand in the presidential election. But what we do and say might give hope to the people of Belarus.

We in Poland remember the hopeless years of martial law in the 1980s but I am convinced that Belarus will one day also be free and Belarusian representatives will sit here with us in this Parliament. Žyvie Belaruś.

 
  
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  Janez Lenarčič, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, we have witnessed an unprecedented level of repression in Belarus over the last three months. It is clear that the elections were neither free nor fair and Lukashenko has no democratic legitimacy. The Belarusian authorities have not accepted international offers of mediation and the human rights situation continues to deteriorate. More than 30 000 people have been arrested following the elections and there are more than 100 political prisoners recognised by the European Union. At least 500 cases of torture have been documented and at least four persons have been killed.

The latest example, as mentioned by many, was on 12 November when 31-year-old Raman Bandarenka died due to serious injuries caused by the brutality of police. This is another shameful result of the brutal repression that the Belarusian authorities carry out against their own peacefully protesting people.

As the European Union, we have been leading the international response for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Belarus. The EU-led resolution in the UN Human Rights Council requests the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor the situation of human rights in Belarus and to present an oral update on the situation, including recommendations, to be followed by a written report and an interactive dialogue at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The EU Member States were at the forefront of the move within the OSCE to invoke the Moscow Mechanism to report on the human rights violations in Belarus and provide recommendations. The resulting report and recommendations should now be followed up. The EU stands ready to assist in the implementation of these recommendations.

There must be no impunity for violations of human rights such as those that we are witnessing in Belarus. We will continue to support the peaceful protesters and their legitimate call for free and fair elections. We will continue to support civil society and independent media. And we have also launched the preparatory work for the third package of sanctions, in addition to the sanctions on 55 individuals responsible for the violent repression and election falsification which we have already adopted. And finally, concerning the so-called Magnitsky Act, the Commission has done its work. It has sent the proposal to the Council.

As announced in the Council conclusions on 12 October, the European Union stands also ready to support a peaceful democratic transition with a variety of instruments, including a comprehensive plan of economic support for a democratic Belarus. Let me thank at the end the European Parliament for its relentless support to the democratic struggle of the Belarusian people.

 
  
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  President. – The debate is closed.

The vote will take place today.

Written statements (Rule 171)

 
  
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  Gunnar Beck (ID), schriftlich. – In diesem Entschließungsantrag geht es um die menschenrechtliche Problematik in Weißrussland, insbesondere um den Umgang mit Journalisten. In Weißrussland, hier sieht sich der Präsident Alexander Lukaschenko schweren Vorwürfen der Wahlmanipulation ausgesetzt, kommt es fortlaufend zu Menschenrechtsverletzungen. Diese richten sich auch gegen Journalisten und gegen die Pressefreiheit. Immer wieder werden Journalisten, aber auch andere Zivilisten, vom Staatssicherheitsdienst verhaftet, verschwinden einfach oder werden getötet. Der 31-jährige Kunstlehrer Raman Bandarenka wurde am 11. November 2020 von einer Gruppe maskierter Männer in Zivil brutal zusammengeschlagen. Berichten zufolge haben diese enge Verbindungen zur Regierung. In der Haft wurde Raman Bandarenka weiter geschlagen und dann nach zwei Stunden mit Kopfverletzungen in ein Krankenhaus gebracht. Am folgenden Tag erlag er den Verletzungen. Ein Arzt und eine Journalistin, die den Fall aufklären wollen, werden nun von staatlichen Stellen verfolgt. Auch Zeugen mussten Repressionen erleiden. Ein Mahnmal zum Gedenken an Raman Bandarenka wurde zerstört. Als orthodoxe und katholische Kirchenvertreter dies verurteilten, wurden sie von der Minsker Regierung heftig dafür kritisiert. Wir verurteilen Verletzungen der Menschenrechte und stehen für Demokratie und Freiheit und wollen eine freie und unabhängige Presse. Aber wir lehnen eine Einmischung der EU in die Angelegenheiten eines Nichtmitgliedslandes ab. Ich habe mich nach sorgfältiger Abwägung enthalten.

 
  
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  Bettina Vollath (S&D), schriftlich. – „Das ganze Volk ist gegen diese Macht“, sagte ein Besucher der Beerdigung von Raman Bandarenka. Dieser starb vor zwei Wochen nach einer vermeintlichen Schlägerei mit einem Nachbarn. So lautet zumindest der offizielle Bericht.

Augenzeugenberichte und Videoaufnahmen zeigen jedoch ein anderes Bild. Bandarenka wurde demgemäß nach einem Wortgefecht von maskierten Einsatzkräften auf die Polizeiwache gebracht. Was dort passiert ist, bleibt im Dunklen. Klar sind aber die Folgen: schweres Schädel-Hirn-Trauma, ausgerenkter Unterkiefer, Blutergüsse und Wunden an Gesicht und Beinen – bloß ein Auszug aus dem Befund auf der Intensivstation.

Raman starb, weil er zur falschen Zeit am falschen Ort war. Er wurde am „Platz des Wandels“ festgenommen. Einem Platz voller Kultur und Hoffnung, der zu einem Symbol der Widerstandsbewegung geworden ist. Lukaschenkos Regime wollte diesen Ort der Hoffnung zerstören – und hat so eine Pilgerstätte geschaffen.

Ramans Tod befeuert die Proteste in Belarus, die seit über 100 Tagen andauern. Auch diesen Sonntag werden wieder Tausende demonstrieren, und wenn sich nichts ändert, werden sie auch weiterhin gefoltert und getötet werden. Menschen wie du und ich und wie Raman Bandarenka.

Darum haben wir heute im Europäischen Parlament nochmal klargemacht: Wir stehen auf der Seite der Menschenrechte und der Demokratie und damit auf der Seite der Belarus*innen.

 
  
  

(The sitting was suspended at 12.36)

 
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