During the Parliament’ Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, on 18 September, several MEPs warned about the severe situation of the more than 1400 political prisoners in Belarus. Isolation and ill-treatment of political prisoners is a widespread repressive tactic in Belarus. The authorities deny them communication with their lawyers and family members and refuse to provide health care to those with health problems.
Twenty-one members of the EPP group proposed a Motion for a resolution “with a request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”
The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group asked for the immediate release of “Maria Kalesnikava, Ales Bialatski, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Mikalai Statkevich, Andrzej Poczobut and more than 1.340 others, imprisoned for months or years, many tortured and held incommunicado!”
S&Ds also demand the immediate release of all held under unlawful pretences and call on EU candidate country Serbia to refrain from extraditing Belarusian journalist and activist Andrei Gnyot!
“#Lukashenka has been in power for 30 years and has established a system characterised by social populism, #Soviet -style politics and widespread human rights abuses. There is no place in #Belarus for pluralism of opinion and free political activity,” highlighted Petras Austrevicius (Member of the Bureau of the Renew Europe Group), from the Liberal Movement (LS) of Lithuania.
Liberal Helmut Brandstätter, a member of the Austrian NEOS party, noted in a post on X that the leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, “reminds us: the political prisoners in Belarus hear our voices, and they know they are not alone. # Lukashenko’s regime has no legitimacy— his time will end. Together, we will push for tougher sanctions on his regime, not the people, and support Belarusian civil society, free media, and the democratic forces. Belarus belongs in Europe”.
“We will not forget you. We are fighting for you. And we will stand with you until that day,” emphasised Brandstätter.
Mārtiņš Staķis (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance), former Mayor of Riga and member of the Progressives party, stated, “We must not forget the more than 1400 Belarusian political prisoners. The only way we can force Lukashenko to release them is through sanctions. Only the complete isolation of Lukashenko’s regime can force him to release prisoners of conscience. #ZiveBelarus.”
Mariusz Kamiński, ECR MEP and co-author of a European Parliament resolution, called for the freedom of political prisoners in Belarus.
