On the severe situation of political prisoners in Belarus

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

(2024/2804(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to its numerous previous resolutions on Belarus since August 2020,

–having regard to Rule 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas since the fraudulent presidential election of 9 August 2020, the Lukashenka regime has been systematically repressing political activists, civil society, media, trade unions and any dissidents and their defenders, and has arbitrarily detained tens of thousands of people;

B.whereas Lukashenka has announced his candidacy for the 2025 presidential election for a seventh term;

C.whereas many of the 1 350 political prisoners in Belarus are subjected to life-threatening conditions and several have died in prison;

1.Demands that the Belarusian authorities immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons;

2.Expresses utmost concern about the situation of many political prisoners, including Maria Kalesnikava, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Mikalai Statkevich, Ales Bialiatski, Maksim Znak, Viktar Babaryka, Ihar Losik, Palina Szarenda-Panasiuk, Pavel Seviarynets, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Mikita Zalatarou and Yana Pinchuk, many of whom have been held incommunicado for months or years, face severe health problems, like Maria Kalesnikava and Andrzej Poczobut, and are subjected to isolation, ill treatment and torture;

3 Regrets that Belarusian political prisoners could not benefit from the recent efforts to free political prisoners and Western citizens in Russia and Belarus; calls for intensified efforts to free them;

4.Urges the Belarusian authorities to respect the human rights of detainees, supply information about their situation, provide necessary medical treatment and allow access for lawyers, family members and the International Committee of the Red Cross;