Strasbourg, 22 January 2025
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The EU should refuse to recognise Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s anticipated victory.
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Parliament reaffirms its support for the Belarusian people in their fight for democracy and human rights.
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MEPs want the scope of EU sanctions against Belarusian authorities to be broadened.
Denouncing the ongoing and long-standing grave violations of human rights and democratic principles in Belarus, which have further intensified in the run-up to the so-called presidential election on 26 January, Parliament asks the EU, its member states and the international community not to recognise the legitimacy of incumbent dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka as president after the vote. With Mr Lukashenka having ruled Belarus ruthlessly since 1994, MEPs note that, unlike in 2020 there are only pro forma ‘candidates’ to challenge him in this month’s election. While reiterating their non-recognition of Mr Lukashenka as President and their position that the entire Belarusian regime is illegitimate, MEPs express their unwavering support for the Belarusian people in their pursuit of democracy, freedom and human rights.
Parliament wants to strengthen EU sanctions against Belarus
MEPs are also gravely concerned about the situation of political prisoners in Belarus, of which, according to the Belarusian human rights organisation Viasna, there are over 1200. The resolution calls on the EU and its member states to continue investigating human rights abuses in the country and to support accountability measures, including through the application of the “universal jurisdiction” legal principle. MEPs also denounce the Lukashenka regime’s complicity in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and condemns its deliberate subordination of Belarus to Russia in a so-called union state. They urge the EU and its international partners to broaden and strengthen sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for the repression in Belarus and for Belarus’ participation in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
For all the details, the resolution will be available in full here (22.01.2025). It was adopted by 429 votes in favour, 205 against with 23 abstentions. If you want to know how each MEP voted, click here.
Further information
Belarus: Statement by MEP Mārtiņš Staķis (Greens/EFA)
Today, the European Parliament is expected to adopt a resolution on the need for actions to address the continued oppression and fake elections in Belarus. Greens/EFA MEP Mārtiņš Staķis (Progresīvie) from Latvia, shadow rapporteur on the text, comments on the situation in the country:
“Every day, 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus—teachers, students, journalists, parents—wake up in cells. Not for crimes, but for daring to dream of freedom. Among them is Dzmitry Kuchuk, leader of the dissolved Belarusian Green Party, who has been sentenced to six years in prison simply for standing up for his beliefs.
“Since the stolen election of 2020, Lukashenko’s regime has turned Belarus into a prison, crushing dissent with torture, blackmail, and fear. This regime is also complicit in Russia’s war crimes, including the kidnapping of Ukrainian children. We must hold the regime’s cronies accountable: freeze their assets and deny them visas. We also need to support the Belarusian people, especially the families of political prisoners. If we fail to act decisively, we send a green light to every dictator watching.”
Source – Greens/EFA
Belarus: Renew Europe denounces Lukashenka’s sham election
Ahead of the so-called presidential elections in Belarus, scheduled for this week on 26 January, the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament denounces the lack of freedom, fairness, and transparency in the electoral process, while ongoing grave violations of human rights and democratic principles in Belarus have further intensified.
In a resolution adopted today by the plenary, initiated by our political group, Renew Europe calls on the EU and its international partners to broaden and strengthen sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for repression in Belarus and for Belarus’s involvement in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Lukashenka’s cronies, who prop up his illegitimate and criminal regime, must have their assets identified, frozen, and seized through legal means.
Renew Europe MEP, Helmut Brandstätter (NEOS, Austria), EP standing rapporteur on Belarus, who led the negotiations on the resolution, said:
“The so-called elections in Belarus this weekend are a farce. The EU and its partners do not recognise Lukashenka as president. He is illegitimate, a criminal and must be brought to justice. We will continue to support the democratic forces in Belarus, led by Ms Tsikhanouskaya, until free and fair elections are held in the country.”
Renew Europe MEP, Michał Kobosko (Polska 2050, Poland), Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, added:
“State-orchestrated elections by Lukashenka’s criminal regime continue to deprive the Belarusian people of their fundamental right to choose their leaders and determine their future. The dictator is now running for a seventh term. Targeted sanctions and economic measures imposed by the EU against Belarusian individuals and entities must be broader and stronger.”
Source – Renew Europe (via e-mail)
ECR Group: The EU must act decisively against Lukashenka’s regime
In a debate on addressing the ongoing oppression and upcoming sham elections in Belarus, ECR MEPs have issued a stark warning about the worsening plight of citizens under the Lukashenka regime.
During Tuesday’s plenary debate, Małgorzata Gosiewska, MEP and Chair of the Delegation for Relations with Belarus, condemned the elections as a “farce” and a blatant attempt by the regime to tighten its oppressive grip on power.
Gosiewska called on the European Union to take firm and decisive action, stating, “Europe cannot afford to be passive. We must act decisively and send a clear and unequivocal message: we will not tolerate a regime that flagrantly violates human rights and fundamental democratic principles.”
“Europe must remain a bastion of democracy and a staunch defender of human rights. Ignoring the unfolding situation in Belarus risks undermining the civilised world, beginning with Belarus,” she warned.
Following today’s vote, in which the resolution was adopted by 567 votes in favour, 25 against, and 66 abstentions, ECR foreign affairs coordinator Adam Bielan echoed the call for a stronger European response.
“We need a united and structured approach to protect our Eastern flank. We urge our European institutions and Member States to jointly determine solutions to hold Lukashenka’s regime accountable for its crimes and to support Belarusian civil society, both within the country and in exile,” Bielan urged.
He concluded: “Belarus has become a prison, whose wardens are nobody but Mr. Lukashenka, Putin’s puppet.”
Source – ECR Group (by e-mail)