2020/2081(INI) Proposal for a Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on relations with Belarus
Next event: Debate in plenary scheduled 2020/10/20
Lead committee dossier:
Next event: Debate in plenary scheduled 2020/10/20
Progress: Awaiting Parliament's vote
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET |
AUŠTREVIČIUS Petras ( Renew)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 118
Legal Basis:
RoP 118Events
2020/10/20
Debate in plenary scheduled
2020/09/28
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Details
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (Renew, LT) on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on relations with Belarus.
Members made a series of recommendations to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:
Post-election situation
Members recommended supporting the decision of the EU and its Member States not to recognise the fraudulent election results announced by the Belarusian Central Electoral Commission and not to recognise Aliaksandr Lukashenko as the legitimate President of the country once his current term of office expires on 5 November 2020 at the latest, and to call on him to respect the will of the Belarusian people and resign peacefully.
The report called for recognition of the Coordinating Council (CC) initiated by Sviatlana Tsikhanukhaya as the legitimate representative of the people demanding democratic change and freedom in Belarus, insisting that the Belarusian regime should enter into dialogue with it. It also deplored the persecution of CC members and demanded that all legal actions taken by the authorities against them be dropped and that all detained and arrested persons be released.
Members also recommended:
- support the CC's efforts for a peaceful and democratic transition of power;
- an immediate end to violence, cruel repression, torture and repression against peaceful demonstrators;
- implementing sanctions agreed by EU Foreign Ministers and the European Council and to impose visa bans and financial sanctions, including the freezing of assets, against representatives of the regime, sanctioned persons and their family members;
- taking a stand in support of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belarus and reject any external interference by any third state, including Russia, in particular in the Belarusian state media and security forces;
- develop a comprehensive programme for Belarus after the new presidential elections and organise a donor conference for democratic Belarus to support future efforts to reform and restructure the economy.
Political situation in Belarus and human rights
Members recommended calling for free and fair elections to be held before a transparent and inclusive constitutional reform process is put in place, subject to public consultation with all relevant stakeholders in Belarusian society.
The report stressed the need to amend the national legislation of Belarus in order to ensure fundamental civil rights and freedoms, such as freedom of assembly, association, expression and opinion, as well as freedom of the media, compliance with international agreements and the OSCE Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly.
It also called for condemnation of (i) the ongoing application of the death penalty in Belarus, (ii) the continued intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders, opposition figures, peaceful demonstrators and civil society activists, (iii) the persistent discrimination and stigmatisation against people with disabilities, people living with HIV, minorities, LGBTQI people and families of detainees throughout Belarus; (iii) the suppression of the Internet and the media and the intimidation and mass withdrawal of accreditations for journalists in order to stop the flow of information on the situation in the country.
Economic and sectoral cooperation
Members recommended reminding Belarus that the EU is its second largest trading partner and that intensified economic relations could provide a much-needed balance to Belarusian external trade, which remains highly dependent on Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. They also stressed the importance of continuing the process of Belarus' accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as it will encourage modernisation and diversification of the economy, contribute to the creation of a more stable business environment in the country and facilitate rules-based trade with the EU.
The report also stressed the importance of:
- expressing the EU's concern about widespread systemic corruption in Belarusian public institutions and state-owned enterprises;
- encouraging Belarus' energy diversification and the reduction of its dependence on Russia by importing oil and gas from new suppliers, including via the EU territory;
- encouraging Belarus to strengthen its environmental cooperation with the EU on green transformation, energy efficiency, sustainability and climate neutrality;
- exploring the possibilities of visa-free travel to Belarusian citizens so that people-to-people contacts are not held hostage to the undemocratic principles of the Belarusian authorities;
- supporting cross-border cooperation and movement between Belarus and neighbouring EU Member States;
- intensifying efforts to ensure that young people in Belarus can benefit from better-quality education through increased academic mobility and opportunities to study in the EU via the Erasmus+ programme.
Documents
2020/09/21
EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
2020/09/03
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2020/06/17
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2020/05/27
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
2020/01/20
EP - AUŠTREVIČIUS Petras (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in AFET
Documents
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A9-0167/2020
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE657.166
- Committee draft report: PE652.398
- Committee draft report: PE652.398
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE657.166
Activities
- Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Anna FOTYGA
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Urmas PAET
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Kati PIRI
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Tonino PICULA
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Thierry MARIANI
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Andrzej HALICKI
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Andrius KUBILIUS
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Idoia VILLANUEVA RUIZ
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Isabel WISELER-LIMA
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Dace MELBĀRDE
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Katarina BARLEY
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Miriam LEXMANN
Plenary Speeches (0)
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 388 |
2020/2081(INI)
2020/09/02
AFET
388 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 — having regard to the Council conclusions on Belarus of 15 February 2016 and the main outcomes of the video conference of Foreign Affairs Ministers of 14 August 2020,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 c (new) — having regard to the Statement by the EEAS Spokesperson on recent developments in Belarus of 19 June 2020 and the statements by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell related to the elections in Belarus of 14 July 2020, 7 August 2020, and 17 August,
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E g (new) Eg. whereas human rights lawyers are disbarred for defending detained civil and political activists and denouncing their conditions of detention or the violation of fair trial guarantees, and the human rights community is routinely stigmatized as being politically motivated and accused of receiving foreign funding in order to carry out sedition, criticize the government or destabilize the existing political system;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E h (new) Eh. whereas since 2014, 18,000 Belarusian minors were sentenced to unproportionally long terms of imprisonment, between 8 and 15 years, for non-violent drug-related offences under the Article 328 of the Criminal Code; during detention and imprisonment Belarusian minors face numerous violations of their rights, including physical violence and torture, and are exposed to dangerous for health working conditions;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E i (new) Ei. whereas the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus of July 2020 notes no major improvements in the legal and regulatory protection of human rights in Belarus and, in addition to above highlighted problems, brings attention to continuous application of the death penalty, prevalent discrimination of vulnerable groups, including women, persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities and LGBTQI persons, continuous practice of forced labour, torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment of detained persons, and discrimination against speakers of Belarusian language;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E j (new) Ej. whereas the EU has allocated EUR 60 million to Belarus for mitigation of the immediate and direct effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and, in reaction to post-election situation in Belarus, additional EUR 53 million to support the Belarusian people were added; whereas Belarus is exploring the possibility to seek macro-financial assistance from the EU;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas Belarus has been subject to unprecedented pressure from Russia to deepen their integration in the context of the Union State, to the detriment of the sovereignty of Belarus, resulting inter alia in an ongoing standoff over oil and gas imports from Russia;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas Belarus has been subject to unprecedented pressure from Russia to deepen their integration in the context of the Union State, to the detriment of the sovereignty of Belarus, resulting in an ongoing standoff over oil and gas imports from Russia;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas Belarus has been subject to unprecedented pressure from Russia to deepen their integration in the context of the Union State, to the detriment of the sovereignty of Belarus, resulting in an ongoing standoff over oil and gas imports from Russia;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas Belarus in partnership with Russian ROSATOM corporation is building the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in unjustified location just 20 kilometres way from the EU’s external border and 45 kilometres away from the capital city of Lithuania; whereas the construction of the Astravyets NPP has been followed by the lack of respect for international standards for nuclear safety, serious safety violations and major incidents, including continuous construction works despite the Covid-19 outbreak at the site; whereas the first reactor of the Astravyets NPP was planned to launch before Presidential election in August 2020 and before full implementation of the recommendations of the stress tests carried out by the EU nuclear safety authorities;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas 26 years in power or Lukashenka had been marked by policies of undermining sovereignty and independence of the country and weakening of Belarusian identity, heritage and culture;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 d (new) — having regard to statements by the EEAS Spokesperson on the application of the death penalty in Belarus, notably of 30 July 2019, 28 October 2019, 20 December 2019, 11 January 2020, and 7 March 2020,
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas states are sovereign to choose their own economic, political and social model, as well as their bilateral and multilateral agreements;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas from a security point of view, Belarus is closely linked to and dependent on Russia and is engaging in actions posing a threat to the EU Member States such as the Zapad 2017 joint military exercises, planned Zapad 2021 joint military exercise and construction of unsafe nuclear installations;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas from a security point of view, Belarus’ membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) means the country is closely linked to and dependent on Russia and is engaging in actions posing a threat to the EU Member States such as the Zapad 2017 joint military exercises;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas from a security point of view, Belarus is closely linked to and dependent on Russia and is engaging in joint action
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas from a security point of view, Belarus is closely linked to and dependent on Russia and is engaging in actions posing a threat to the EU Member States such as the non-transparent Zapad 2017 joint military exercises;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas in 2016 the EU lifted most sanctions against Belarus, with the exception of an arms embargo and sanctions against four individuals; whereas the European Council in 2020 agreed to impose sanctions against a substantial number of individuals responsible for violence, repression and the falsification of election results;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas it is unacceptable if a Member State does not condemn unambiguously the election falsification, violence and repression and reckons Lukashenko's Belarus as partner state, since the situation in Belarus requires to adopt a firm and principled position and agree on common EU action;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas the construction of Great Stone industrial park makes clear China’s intention to include Belarus in its ‘new silk roads’;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 a (new) — having regard to its recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the Eastern Partnership, in the run-up to the June 2020 Summit,
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas after eruption of massive protests Aliaksandr Lukashenka reached out to Russia for assistance to ensure survival of the Belarusian regime;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Gb. whereas independent platforms established by civil society organisations of Belarus (such as Golos - Belarus2020.org) conducted independent exit polls and analysed protocols of more than 200 precinct electoral commissions, which released genuine results, that clearly point to the fact that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received an absolute majority of votes (in the range of 71.1% to 97.6%);
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) Gc. whereas Belarus does not recognize the independence of the breakaway republic of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, de jure annexation of Crimea and invoked the neutrality pledge in its Constitution to refuse siding with Russia in the war in Eastern Ukraine;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G d (new) Gd. whereas difficult economic situation, which is to worsen due to the nationwide workers’ strikes and refusal by the Belarusian regime to enter into a national dialogue with the Belarusian people, indicate that the economic model of Belarus has reached its limits and the country could be entering into a period of transition in which the EU can play a key balancing role;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G d (new) Gd. whereas the Belarusian authorities did not comply with minimum international standards for a credible, transparent, free and fair presidential election process;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G e (new) Ge. Condemns criminal behaviour of the Lukashenka’s regime and calls for an immediate end of violence and inhumane treatment of the Belarusian people, for an immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and political prisoners, for a thorough investigation of committed atrocities and bringing culpable to justice, more importantly, for recognizing and entering into a dialogue with the National Coordination Council of Belarus;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G e (new) Ge. whereas peaceful protests expressing a desire for democratic change and freedom started already on the night of Sunday 9 August in Minsk and many other cities around the country, the scale of protests is unprecedented in the history of Belarus going into the hundreds of thousands;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G f (new) Gf. whereas the authorities responded to peaceful protests with disproportionate brute force, heavy use of tear gas, batons, flash grenades and water cannons, several thousand protestors were detained, there have been reports of torture, rape, missing persons, several people have been found dead so far;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 a (new) — having regard to the Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus of 10 July 2020,
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G f (new) Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G g (new) Gg. whereas Lukashenko and his regime have approved these criminal actions and pogroms by OMON of innocent people and whereas more than 7000 Belarusians were detained, more than 400 hospitalised, 5 confirmed dead and dozens still missing, while further arrests and harassment of activists, including journalists, are still taking place all over Belarus;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G g (new) Gg. whereas the European Parliament expresses support to the Belarusian people’s claims for free and fair elections and ability to freely make decisions about their country’s future;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G h (new) Gh. whereas the European Union and its Member States did not recognise the results of the presidential election due to substantial doubt about the fairness of the election, condemned the disproportionate, unacceptable use of force against peaceful protestors and supported the right of the people of Belarus to determine their future;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G h (new) Gh. whereas the European Parliament welcomes and encourages to sustain peaceful organisation of the nationwide protests and commends the role and strong leadership of Belarusian women;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G i (new) Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G i (new) Gi. whereas the European Parliament expresses deepest condolences over deaths of Alyaksandr Taraykouski, Alyaksandr Vikhor, Artsyom Parukou, Henadz Shutau and Kanstantsin Shyshmakou to their families and to all Belarusian nation;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G j (new) Gj. whereas the European Parliament commits itself to enabling the EU assistance to the victims of the Belarusian regime, including provision of health services to recover from incurred injuries and traumas;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G k (new) Gk. whereas the European Parliament deplores any targeting of human rights defenders, environmental rights defenders, journalists, bloggers, art activists and those criticizing the Belarusian regime and calls for full implementation of the fundamental freedoms and human rights government policies in Belarus;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G l (new) Gl. whereas the European Parliament deplores decision of the Belarusian regime not to grant entrance to Belarus for two members of the European Parliament traveling upon invitation of the Belarusian civil society;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 b (new) — having regard to the statement of the President of the European Parliament calling to stop the violence in Belarus of 13 August 2020,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a (new) Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a (new) (-a) call on all Member States to condemn the election fraud, suppression of opposition and civil society, restrictions on human rights, freedom of expression and media freedom, and breaching core democratic values and the rule of law;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a (new) Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a (new) (-a) stand firmly with the people of Belarus and emphasise the need for a peaceful and democratic solution to the current crisis, underpinned by independent and free media and a strong civil society;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a a (new) (-aa) demand new elections under the supervision of independent observers, an end to violence and unlawful detentions, and a full investigation of these crimes; work speedily towards targeted sanctions on those responsible for violence, repression and falsification of election results, as well as a review of the EU’s policy towards Belarus with a particular focus on the EU’s support to civil society and the people of Belarus;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a a (new) (-aa) implement the agreed sanctions as soon as possible and in coordination with international partners, consider widening sanctions by enlarging the group of persons by including high and middle ranking officials responsible for repression against demonstrations and election fraud;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a a (new) (-aa) insist that Mr Lukashenko accepts the offer of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) current and incoming chairpersons-in- office to facilitate national dialogue, for which the EU has offered its assistance;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a b (new) Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a b (new) (-ab) urge the Belarusian government to engage in a constructive, mediated dialogue with the opposition and civil society organisations, in particular the National Coordination Council, as well as to cooperate fully with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, the UN Committee against Torture and the UN Human Rights Committee, in order to carry out long-overdue reforms to protect human rights and strengthen democracy;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a c (new) Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 c (new) — having regard to a common statement on Belarus of political leaders from EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA and ECR groups in the European Parliament of 17 August 2020,
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a d (new) (-ad) insist on the immediate and unconditional release of and dropping of all charges against human rights defenders, activists, journalists and anyone else arbitrarily detained or convicted in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights, as well as on a thorough and impartial investigation into all incidents of arbitrary detention, ill treatment and torture;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a e (new) (-ae) demand Belarusian authorities to cease all ill treatment and torture; call on Belarus to introduce into its Criminal Code a specific definition of torture in line with international human rights standards and ensure it is punished with sanctions, as well as legislative changes to criminalize enforced disappearance;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a f (new) (-af) insist on the need for the Belarusian government to ensure citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly, association, expression and opinion, as well as media freedom, and thus lift all restrictions in law and practice that impede these freedoms;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a g (new) (-ag) call on authorities to improve the access, availability and quality of healthcare in places of detention, in particular given the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the working conditions of medical staff, given reports of police preventing help for injured protesters and arresting medical workers;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a h (new) Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a i (new) (-ai) launch a targeted EU assistance programme to help victims of political repression and police violence, in particular with access to legal counsel, material and medical help, and rehabilitation;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a j (new) (-aj) avoid providing any funding to the government and state-controlled projects, including channelling assistance or funding earmarked for civil society through these entities;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a k (new) (-ak) take all necessary measures to receive refugees from Belarus, if the situation continues to deteriorate;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point -a l (new) (-al) condemn the suppression of internet and media, road blockades, and intimidation of journalists in order to stop the flow of information about the situation in the country, as well as the disinformation campaigns aimed at deliberately misleading the Belarusian public and blaming third actors for current events;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a (a)
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 d (new) — having regard to the declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the presidential elections in Belarus of 11 August 2020,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a (a) support the sovereignty of Belarus
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a (a) support the sovereignty of Belarus
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a (a) acknowledge territorial integrity of Belarus and support the sovereignty of Belarus against pressure from the Russian Federation for deeper integration and remind Belarus that the European Union is open to further development of relations with the country both bilaterally and within the Eastern Partnership framework if Belarus meets conditions linked to democracy, the rule of law, international law, human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a (a) support the sovereignty of Belarus against pressure from the Russian Federation for deeper integration and remind Belarus that the European Union is open to further development of relations with the country both bilaterally and within the Eastern Partnership framework if Belarus meets conditions linked to
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a (a) support the sovereignty of Belarus, including against pressure from the Russian Federation for deeper integration, and remind Belarus that the European Union is open to further development of relations with the country both bilaterally and within the Eastern Partnership framework if Belarus meets conditions linked to democracy, the rule of law, international law, human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a a (new) Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a a (new) (aa) do not recognize the results of fraudulent August 9 Presidential election;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a b (new) (ab) deplore and request an immediate halt of violence used against peaceful protesters by the Belarusian regime;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a c (new) (ac) insist on the Belarusian regime to immediately and unconditionally release all detained protesters and political prisoners;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a d (new) (ad) call upon the Belarusian authorities to organize a new, free and fair, according to the international election standards Presidential election;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 e (new) — having regard to the conclusions on Belarus of the European Council on 19 August 2020,
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a e (new) (ae) assess and accordingly review the European Union’s relations with Belarus;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a f (new) (af) suspend negotiations on the EU- Belarus Partnership Priorities until the free and fair Presidential election takes place in Belarus;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a g (new) (ag) recognize Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who according to the independent sociologic surveys received more than a half of votes at the 2020 Presidential election and in the eyes of the Belarusian people is their President-elect, as an interim leader of Belarus, recognize and support her initiated the National Coordination Council of Belarus;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a h (new) (ah) insist on the Belarusian regime to recognize and enter into a dialogue with the National Coordination Council of Belarus;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a i (new) (ai) organise an official meeting between the EU representatives and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and organize a visit of the EU representatives to Belarus to facilitate a national dialogue and an inclusive solution benefiting all people of Belarus;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a j (new) (aj) insist upon non-interference of external actors into the internal affairs of Belarus; publicly name the hybrid interference executed by the Russian Federation in such ways as delegating so- called media experts to the Belarusian state media and advisors to the military and law enforcement agencies of Belarus, as violating the agreement of non- interference, and deter continuation of such actions;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point a k (new) (ak) deplore intention of the Russian Federation to send Russian law enforcement services to Belarus and further enable the Lukashenka regime’s crackdown on peaceful protesters;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b (b) acknowledge that while the critical engagement policy has brought about some developments in bilateral relations, progress in the key areas of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and civil society remains very limited or almost non- existent,
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b (b) acknowledge that, while the critical engagement policy has brought about some
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b (b) acknowledge that while the critical engagement policy has brought about some developments in bilateral relations, progress in the key areas of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and civil society remains very limited or almost non- existent, and, as the EU is engaging in a more tailored approach to the Eastern Partnership, consider applying the ‘less for less’ principle
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 f (new) — having regard to the UN Human Rights Council’s Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus of 10 July 2020,
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b (b) acknowledge that while the critical engagement policy has brought about some developments in bilateral relations before the 2020 Presidential elections, progress achieved in the key areas of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and civil society
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b (b) acknowledge that while the critical engagement policy before the disputed presidential election on 9 August 2020 has brought about some developments in bilateral relations, but progress in the key areas of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and civil society remain
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b (b) acknowledge that while the critical engagement policy has brought about some developments in bilateral relations, progress in the key areas of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b (b) acknowledge that while the critical engagement policy has brought about some developments in bilateral relations, progress in the key areas of democracy, the rule of law, freedom of media, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and civil society remains very limited
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b (b) acknowledge that while the critical engagement policy has brought about some developments in bilateral relations, progress in the key areas of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and civil society remains very limited or almost non- existent, and, as the EU is engaging in a more tailored approach to the Eastern Partnership,
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point b a (new) Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c (c)
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c (c) insist that any EU macro-financial support for mitigating the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is conditional on strict political criteria, notably those linked to democracy and human rights,
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c (c) insist that any EU macro-financial support for mitigating the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is conditional on strict political criteria, notably those linked to democracy and human rights, nuclear safety concerns voiced by some of the EU Member States and threats posed by Belarus-Russia military cooperation, and that adequate measures are taken to combat the virus and protect the population; insist that EU financial support should not be addressed directly to the regime, but should benefit the Belarusian people;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 g (new) — having regard to the UN statements on situation in Belarus, in particular those of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights of 12 August 2020, the UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights of 13 August 2020, and the Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights of 21 August 2020,
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c (c) insist that any future EU macro- financial support for mitigating the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is conditional on strict political criteria, notably those linked to democracy and human rights, nuclear safety concerns voiced by some of the EU Member States and threats posed by Belarus-Russia military cooperation, and that adequate measures are taken to combat the virus and protect the population, all of which should be closely monitored in order to prevent any misuse of EU funds;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c (c) insist that any EU macro-financial support for mitigating the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is conditional on strict political criteria, notably those linked to democracy and human rights, particularly, ending political repressions and releasing all political prisoners, nuclear safety concerns voiced by some of the EU Member States and threats posed by Belarus-Russia military cooperation, and that adequate measures are taken to combat the virus and protect the population;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c (c) insist that any EU macro-financial support for mitigating the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c (c) insist that any EU macro-financial support for mitigating the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is conditional on strict political and economic criteria, notably those linked to democracy and human rights, nuclear safety concerns voiced by some of the EU Member States and threats posed by Belarus-Russia military cooperation, and that adequate measures are taken to combat the virus and protect the population;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c a (new) (ca) insist that support programs implemented through EIB, EBRD, WB, UN and other international organizations would also be conditioned on improving the situation of human rights and democracy, and on meeting the international standards for nuclear safety; note and address the situation that, currently, the programs implemented in cooperation between these international organizations and state structures in Belarus usually do not include independent stakeholders in their governing bodies, which leads not only to dubious achievements of such programs, but also contributes to the displacement of civil society organizations from the structure of cooperation with the EU by the state-owned public organizations (GONGOs);
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c a (new) (ca) urge the Belarusian government to strengthen the healthcare system and provide its citizens with all relevant and life-saving information about the pandemic in a transparent and inclusive manner;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c b (new) (cb) note that delivery of medical supplies, including personal protection gear, as part of the EU support for Belarus to fight the COVID-19, did not fully comply with the EU visibility rules; address issues related to the lack of visibility and spread of information about the EU efforts to assist Belarusian people; note that the Belarusian regime is using disinformation to portray the EU support as a support for the regime and ensure that the EU support is free of any political affiliations, as it is for the Belarusian people;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c c (new) (cc) note that Belarusian state media outlets maintain a clear anti-Western rhetoric and use it to further discredit the democratic political opposition in Belarus; request for removal of Russia sent alleged journalists to replace resigned employees of the Belarusian state-owned TV stations;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c d (new) (cd) deplore the creation and spread of propagandist narratives by the Belarusian state media accusing the neighbouring countries, among which are the EU Member States, of interference into the ongoing processes in Belarus and posing assumed security threats for territorial integrity of Belarus;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c e (new) (ce) ensure that the EU support of EUR 60 million to Belarus for mitigation of the effects of the COVID-19 would not result into a direct transfer of these funds to the budget of Belarusian state;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 a (new) — having regard to the Conclusions by the President of the European Council following the video conference of the members of the European Council on 19 August 2020,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 h (new) — having regard to the open letter on Diplomatic Watch activities during Presidential Elections 2020 in Belarus, Minsk of 13 August 2020,
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c f (new) (cf) ensure that the additional support of EUR 53 million meets the needs of the Belarusian people, therefore, in addition to the COVID-19 related relief, support medical treatment of Belarusian people injured and traumatized as a result of brutal crackdown on protesters, for most serious cases facilitate and support treatment and recovery in the EU Member States, support the civil society organizations and activists, including those working in exile, enable organizations and lawyers providing legal services to the victims of the Belarusian regime, support documentation and investigation of the human rights violations, support the Belarusian workers on strike and the independent trade unions, the independent media and investigative journalism;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c g (new) (cg) ensure that the EU support would not be used to finance the experimental medicines or vaccines;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c h (new) (ch) develop a strategy for distribution of the EU funds in cooperation with the civil society and democratic representatives of the Belarusian people, the EU and international civil society organizations and institutions with experience of working with Belarus;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point c i (new) (ci) develop a clear procedure and capacities among the EU Member States to fast-track consideration and issuance of the Schengen visas and Humanitarian corridor for Belarusian citizens in cases of the urgent need of medical assistance and refuge;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d (d) maintain the issue of nuclear safety as a priority concern for the EU owing to the potentially disastrous consequences of an accident for the whole region; treat the issue of the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with urgency as it is approaching the start of its operations, the first delivery of
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d (d) maintain the issue of nuclear safety as a priority concern for the EU owing to the potentially disastrous consequences of an accident for the whole region; treat the issue of the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with urgency as it is approaching the start of its operations, the first delivery of nuclear fuel having been received from Russia in May 2020; insist on full respect for international nuclear safety standards and transparent cooperation with international authorities;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d (d) maintain the issue of nuclear safety as a priority concern for the EU owing to
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d (d) maintain the issue of nuclear safety as a
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d (d) maintain the issue of nuclear safety as
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d a (new) (da) demand the deferral of the planned commissioning of the Astravets NPP until international nuclear safety standards have been met, obligatory public hearings were held, and the political situation in Belarus has stabilised, given a number of unresolved nuclear safety problems identified during stress tests, the absence of a final conclusion on its safety, insufficient storage capacity for spent nuclear fuel and for energy reserves, and the currently unstable situation in Belarus complicating response measures in the event of an accident, of which there is an increased risk during the start-up of the reactor;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 a (new) — having regard to the statement of the President of the European Parliament of 13 August and the leaders of the five political groups of 17 August on the situation in Belarus following the presidential election of 9 August,
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d a (new) (da) work for the establishment of normal parliamentary relations between the European Parliament and the Parliament of Belarus as this is the appropriate framework for a comprehensive dialogue on issues of common interest, including those where the partners have fundamental differences;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d a (new) (da) demand from the Belarusian authorities to suspend the launch of the Astravyets NPP until the internal political situation in Belarus normalizes;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d b (new) (db) express concern that Belarus will not implement the recommendations of the stress tests carried out by the EU nuclear safety authorities before the launch of the first reactor of the Astravyets NPP; moreover, that the Astravyets NPP is being built without ensuring a secondary control reserve necessary for a safe functioning of the NPP;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d c (new) (dc) insist on full respect for international nuclear safety standards, transparent cooperation with international authorities, and providing access and monitoring capabilities for independent environmental organizations of Belarus in regards to the Astravyets NPP, and link their implementation to the disbursement of the EU’s financial support; support efforts to ensure European solidarity on the issue of banning imports of energy from the Astravyets NPP into the EU market;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d d (new) (dd) remind the Belarusian authorities that a number of key OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission recommendations remain unaddressed and that no significant steps regarding comprehensive electoral reform have been taken ahead of the 9 August Presidential election, which will prevent the EU-Belarus relations from achieving their full potential;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d e (new) (de) finalise the EU human rights sanctions mechanism allowing to apply sanctions similar to those of the US Magnitsky Act sanctions against individuals and companies involved into grave human rights violations and apply them against Belarusian officials, including investigators and judges who conduct criminal cases against political prisoners, and other individuals and companies involved in violent suppression of peaceful signature collection rallies and protests in Belarus, including torture and ill-treatment of detainees and political prisoners;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d f (new) (df) ensure that the list of sanctions include not only the highest-ranking officials responsible for the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters and the fraudulent election results, but also include the involved middle and entry level public servants and members of the Central Election Commission and consider applying sanctions to their family members;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point d g (new) (dg) coordinate sanctions against Belarus with the democratic allies of the European Union;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 a (new) — having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e (e) condemn the continued failure of the Belarusian authorities to improve the election environment and their lack of intention to create conditions for a genuine level-playing field between the candidates, pay close attention to the presidential election campaign and insist that a lack of progress in conducting elections according to international standards and further crackdowns against the opposition will have direct adverse effects on relations with the EU;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e (e)
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e (e) pay close attention to the p
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e (e)
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e (e)
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e (e) pay close attention to the fallout of the presidential election
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e a (new) (ea) deny recognition of the results of the elections held in Belarus on 9 August 2020 and Alexander Lukashenko as a legitimate leader President of Belarus; accordingly, call on him to respect the decision of the people of Belarus and peacefully step down;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e a (new) (ea) insist on full compliance of election processes in Belarus with international standards, the recommendations of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the opinions of the Venice Commission;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e a (new) Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e a (new) (ea) insist that the EU needs to be united and persistent in its response to the situation in Belarus following the presidential elections;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 b (new) — having regard to the extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council 14 August and European Council on 19 August on the situation in Belarus following the presidential election of 9 August,
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e b (new) (eb) note that invitation for the international election observation was issued late by the Belarusian regime and, as a result, the election monitoring was limited and due to restrictions imposed by the Central Election Commission the observers were deprived of fully executing their duties, including observation of the counting of ballots;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e b (new) (eb) applaud the Belarusian people for their courage and determination and to strongly support their desire for democratic change and freedom and basing their country’s future on principles of democracy, rule of law and human rights, so as to ensure freedom, independence, sovereignty and prosperity of the Republic of Belarus;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e b (new) (eb) impose individual sanctions to Alexander Lukashenka and those individuals that have a central role in falsifying election results in Belarus and using violence against peaceful protesters;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e c (new) Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e c (new) (ec) remain vigilant regarding arrests, disappearances and harassment of candidates, protesters, activists and independent journalists and follow up such cases with Belarusian authorities;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e c (new) (ec) acknowledge that the imposing of individual sanctions is most efficient if applied by the EU as a whole;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e d (new) (ed) deplore persecution of the members of the opposition Coordination Council and call the authorities to enter into the dialogue with the protestors in order to end the violence and repressions and prepare a new elections;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point e d (new) (ed) initiate an official OSCE fact- finding mission to Belarus to investigate the situation and the human rights violations in relation to the 2020 Presidential election;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f) insist that the upcoming constitutional reform is a crucial opportunity to introduce genuine changes
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f) insist that the upcoming constitutional reform is a crucial opportunity to introduce genuine changes which would address the weaknesses of the current political system and enable the Belarusian people to participate more actively in political life, call on the Belarusian authorities to engage in a constructive and open dialogue with the democratic opposition and with the civil society, with the aim to guarantee the right to association, peaceful assembly and expression;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f)
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f) insist
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f) insist that the upcoming constitutional reform is a crucial
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f) insist that the upcoming constitutional reform is a crucial opportunity to introduce genuine changes which would address the weaknesses of the current political system and enable the Belarusian people to be represented in a democratically elected parliament and to participate more actively in political life;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f) insist that the upcoming constitutional reform is a crucial opportunity to introduce genuine changes which would address the weaknesses of the current political system and shift towards a more democratic political system to enable the Belarusian people to participate more actively in political life;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f)
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f (f) insist that the upcoming constitutional reform is a crucial opportunity to introduce genuine
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f a (new) Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f a (new) (fa) condemn efforts of the Belarusian regime to deny entrance to the country for Belarusians critical towards it, as well as independent journalists, human rights workers, as well as representatives of international community, including Members of the European Parliament;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point f b (new) Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas actions of the Lukashenka’s regime are criminal, against the European values, principles of democracy, and against the will of the Belarusian people; whereas despite the fundamental restrictions on basic freedoms and human rights that remain in Belarus, the EU policy of critical engagement with Belarus has produced some results in the form of signed agreements and increased cooperation; whereas unlawful actions of Belarusian regime jeopardize these results and risk causing negative consequences to the EU - Belarus relations; whereas future relations between the EU and Belarus will be defined in the Partnership Priorities to be agreed by both sides;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g (g) call on the authorities to remove the arbitrary barriers under which no new political party has been registered in Belarus since 2000 and enable the registration of political parties and public organisations, and to stop the restrictions applied to established organisations and the persecution of the regime’s political opponents;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g (g) call on the authorities to increase transparency and to remove the arbitrary barriers under which no new political party has been registered in Belarus since 2000 and enable the registration of political parties and public organisations, and to stop the restrictions applied to established organisations;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g (g) call on the authorities to remove the arbitrary barriers under which no new political party has been registered in Belarus since 2000 and enable the registration of political parties
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g (g) call on the authorities to remove the arbitrary barriers under which no new political party has been registered in Belarus since 2000 and enable the registration of political parties, religious and civic and public organisations, and to stop the restrictions applied to established organisations;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) (ga) insist on an independent and effective investigation into protests-related deaths of Alyaksandr Taraykouski, Alyaksandr Vikhor, Artsyom Parukou, Henadz Shutau and Kanstantsin Shyshmakouand murders of political opposition figures Yuriy Zakharenko, Anatoliy Krasovskiy and Victor Honchar that took place in 1999 and into the fate and whereabouts of journalist Dmitriy Zavadski in 2000;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) (ga) emphasise the urgent need to implement OSCE/ODIHR recommendations in order to include substantial procedural and legal safeguards that enhance inclusiveness, integrity and transparency during all stages of the electoral process, in particular to introduce clear and reasonable criteria and mechanisms for candidate registration and signature verification;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) (ga) to instruct the European External Action Service (EEAS) to prepare restrictive measures against persons who - directly or indirectly - contribute towards repressive action against the population before or during the upcoming presidential elections in Belarus;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) (ga) urges the Russian Federation to engage in a dialogue with the EU in order to ensure the creation of the conditions for a peaceful and democratic transition to take place;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas despite the fundamental restrictions on basic freedoms and human rights that remain in Belarus, the EU policy of critical engagement with Belarus has produced some results in the form of signed agreements and increased cooperation; whereas future relations between the EU and Belarus will be defined in the Partnership Priorities to be agreed by both sides;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) (ga) calls on the European Union to support the Belarussian people in their quest for democracy and social justice;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) (ga) insist that the election commissions must be genuinely pluralistic and independent;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – subheading 1 a (new) Post-election situation in Belarus
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g a (new) (ga) strongly support the decision to not recognise the election results as announced by the Belarusian Central Electoral Committee, not to recognise Alexander Lukashenko as president of the country once his current term of office expires; note that the current presidential term in Belarus ends at the latest on 5 November 2020 and after that date a position of the President of Belarus will be vacant. According to the article 81 of the Constitution of Belarus in this case new election of President has to be held not earlier than 30 days and not later than 70 days;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g b (new) (gb) uphold the decision of EU’s foreign affairs ministers and the European Council to blacklist those responsible for violence and fake presidential elections and impose individual sanctions against Belarusian officials who are liable for or have contributed to the falsification of the results of the presidential elections in Belarus and are responsible or have contributed to violations of civil and human rights; this list should be constantly updated and extended according to the level of crimes committed by Lukashenko regime;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g b (new) (gb) support an inclusive national dialogue between the People's Coordination Council and the regime, led by representatives of churches as respected and neutral mediators, to help set Belarus on road out of the current crisis and towards a peaceful and democratic transition;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g b (new) (gb) insist on Belarusian authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the financial flows of President Alexander Lukashenko and his associates, including offshore activities of state enterprises, as well as into corruption in Belarusian enterprises;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g b (new) (gb) agrees with High Representative Josep Borrell’s call for a new presidential election, supervised by the OSCE, to be organised;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g b (new) (gb) call for an international investigation into crimes committed by the Belarusian law enforcement;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g b (new) (gb) recommend to recognise Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as president elect by the people, until new elections have taken place;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas despite the fundamental restrictions on basic freedoms and human rights that remain in Belarus, the EU policy of critical engagement with Belarus has produced some results in the form of signed agreements and increased cooperation; whereas future relations between the EU and Belarus will be defined in the Partnership Priorities to be agreed by both sides and should be based on common values on which the EU is built – democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g c (new) (gc) note that China's president was the first to congratulate Lukashenka after the elections; to express concerns over increasing Chinese investments in strategic infrastructure and warn about the effect of dependency it might create for Belarus;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g c (new) Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g d (new) (gd) recommend to recognise the Belarusian People's Coordination Council as the legitimate representative of the people demanding democratic change and freedom in Belarus;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g e (new) (ge) welcome the efforts of the Belarusian People's Coordination Council for a peaceful and democratic transition of power as a result of an inclusive national dialogue;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g f (new) (gf) urge to prepare a comprehensive review of its policy towards Belarus, taking into account different scenarios of developments in the country, that also include a substantially increased financial and technical commitment from the EU;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g g (new) (gg) urge the EU to organise a donors conference for democratic Belarus, which would bring together international financial institutions, G-7 countries, EU member states and institutions, and others willing to pledge a multi-billion euro financial package to support the future reform efforts and restructuring of the economy;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g h (new) (gh) call on the Russian Federation to refrain from any interference, covert or overt, in the peaceful democratic revolution in Belarus;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g i (new) (gi) as long as the political situation in Belarus does not change reconsider any ongoing disbursements of the EU financial assistance and adjust it accordingly, so that it reaches the end- recipients and circumvents the authorities;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g j (new) (gj) encourage Member States to facilitate and accelerate the procedure for obtaining visas for those who flee Belarus for political reasons;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g k (new) (gk) call for a full EU/international investigation of crimes against the people of Belarus committed by law enforcement authorities of Lukashenko regime against peaceful protesters demanding transparent, free and fair Presidential elections, stopping current repressions and immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas despite the fundamental restrictions on basic freedoms and human rights that remain in Belarus, the EU policy of critical engagement with Belarus has produced some results in the form of signed agreements and increased cooperation in areas such as environment and connectivity, cross-border cooperation and border management; whereas future relations between the EU and Belarus will be defined in the Partnership Priorities to be agreed by both sides;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g l (new) (gl) call to establish in the European Parliament an inquiry committee (or another proper body of the European Parliament) on the investigation of crimes committed in Belarus, which would periodically report on its findings to the plenary sessions of the European Parliament;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g m (new) (gm) condemn the suppression of internet and media, road blockades, and intimidation of journalists in order to stop the flow of information about the situation in the country - the people have the right to access information; condemn the crackdown on international journalists and media limiting their ability to report on the democratic revolution in a free, fair and balanced way;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point g n (new) (gn) propose to appoint an EU special representative for Belarus in order to support the process of a peaceful transition of power in accordance with the will of Belarusian people under the leadership of the president elect by the people and the Belarusian People's Coordination Council;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point h (h) condemn the ongoing application of the death penalty in Belarus and continue to work with the Belarusian authorities towards a moratorium as a first step towards its permanent abolition; encourage the intensification of public debate regarding the abolition of capital punishment, paving the way for a possible future referendum on the issue;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point h (h) condemn the ongoing application of the death penalty in Belarus and continue to work with the Belarusian authorities towards a moratorium as a first step towards its permanent abolition and, pending the abolition of the death penalty, work towards an effective right to appeal against death penalty sentences;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point h (h) condemn the ongoing application of the death penalty
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i (i) condemn the ongoing intimidation and persecution of opposition figures, including presidential hopefuls, civil society activists
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i (i) condemn the ongoing intimidation and persecution of opposition figures, including presidential hopefuls, civil society activists and independent journalists; strongly condemn the suppression of internet and media, road blockades, and intimidation of journalists in order to stop the flow of information about the situation in the country as well as denial of access to Belarus for international media, members of parliament or government of democratic community;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas despite the fundamental restrictions on basic freedoms and human rights that remain in Belarus, the EU policy of critical engagement with Belarus has produced some results in the form of signed agreements and increased cooperation; whereas future relations between the EU and Belarus will be defined in the Partnership Priorities to be agreed by
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i (i) condemn the ongoing intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders, opposition figures, including presidential hopefuls, civil society activists
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i (i) condemn, in the light of the deteriorating election environment in the run-up to the 9 August presidential election, the ongoing intimidation and persecution of opposition figures, including presidential hopefuls and their supporters and family members, civil society activists and independent journalists and peaceful protesters;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i (i) condemn the ongoing intimidation and persecution of opposition figures,
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i (i) condemn the ongoing intimidation and persecution of opposition figures, including presidential
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i (i) condemn the ongoing intimidation and persecution of opposition figures, including presidential hopefuls, civil society activists and independent journalists and bloggers;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i a (new) (ia) condemn the discrimination across Belarus; stress that the Republic of Belarus ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in accordance with which national legislation must guarantee all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any grounds: race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other beliefs, national or social origin, property status, and birth or other circumstances; express concern that awareness and knowledge about the Covenant among government officials, judges, prosecutors, and lawyers remains limited; call on the Belarusian government to improve the education system and spread information in the media aimed at creating a tolerant attitude towards vulnerable groups;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i a (new) (ia) closely follow the cases of disappearances in Belarus, bring the attention of Belarusian authorities to these cases and request their proper and immediate action; enable the use of the EU support to the Belarusian people to cover fees for arrested people on healthcare, lawyer, destroyed equipment;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i a (new) (ia) commend actions taken by workers of numerous factories and institutions throughout the country that joined the protests in various ways, including strikes and provide necessary support for those of them who were punished by the regime for exercising their democratic rights;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i a (new) (ia) acknowledge the chilling effect of repression on civil society and the important role of human rights defenders in ensuring independent monitoring, particularly during elections;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i b (new) Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 — having regard to the Joint Declarations of the Eastern Partnership Summits of 2009 in Prague, 2011 in Warsaw, 2013 in Vilnius, 2015 in Riga
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas despite the fundamental restrictions on basic freedoms and human rights that remain in Belarus, the EU policy of
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point i b (new) (ib) welcome numerous acts of solidarity with the people of Belarus, including fundraising, charity and humanitarian assistance; in this regard condemn stopping of humanitarian aid transport organised by "NSZZ Solidarnosc";
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point j (j) encourage the continuation of the EU-Belarus Human Rights Dialogue, but insist that its true usefulness comes from not just institutional contacts but real and tangible progress, which is not taking place according to the participating Belarusian civil society organizations;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point j (j) encourage the continuation of the EU-Belarus Human Rights Dialogue, but insist that its true usefulness comes from not just institutional contacts but
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point j a (new) (ja) note interruption with attempts to limit the work activities and silence reporting of the Human Rights Centre "Viasna" members, notably Aliaksandr Burakou, Ales Burakou, Raman Kisliak, Uladzimir Vialichkin, Alena Masliukova, Andrei Miadzvedzeu and Siarhej Lacinski, and cease their detention, prosecution, intimidation of them and their family members, and most importantly enable to monitor human rights situation and Presidential election related events in Belarus;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point j a (new) (ja) approve the European universal human rights sanctions (European Magnitsky Act) as a regime providing, at the EU level, for restrictive measures, including entry bans and freezing of funds, against individuals liable for violations of human rights and freedoms and responsible for other crimes;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k (k) insist on the immediate and unconditional release of human rights defenders, activists, journalists, bloggers, and others convicted in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k (k) insist on the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including members of the democratic opposition, human rights defenders, activists, journalists, bloggers and others convicted in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k (k)
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k (k) insist on the immediate and unconditional release of peaceful protester, human rights defenders, activists, journalists and others convicted in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas following the Presidential election on 9 August, which did not comply to the international standards of democratic, free and fair elections, massive, peaceful and orderly protests erupted all over Belarus with the Belarusian people demanding for the end of violence and prosecution against protesters, for the release of political prisoners and detained protesters and for a new presidential election in accordance to the international election standards and with observation of the OSCE ODIHR and other independent observers;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k (k) insist on the immediate and unconditional release of human rights defenders, activists, journalists and others unlawfully convicted in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k (k) insist on the immediate and unconditional release of human rights defenders, activists, journalists, bloggers, and others convicted in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k a (new) (ka) call on the authorities to promptly, thoroughly, impartially, effectively and transparently investigate all reports of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers, of ill-treatment of detainees, of all allegations of threats, assaults and abusive practices targeting any individual, including gender-based abuses and provide all victims of human rights violations and abuses with access to justice and right to an effective remedy;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k a (new) (ka) address the issue of unproportional punishment within the legal system of Belarus, notably the Article 328 of the Criminal Code under which minors for non-violent drug-related offences get punished by unproportianally long terms of imprisonment and are being detained in improper prone to torture and physical violence conditions; welcome a recent lowering of the threshold of sentence by two years and improve the conditions of detention and labour of prisoners convicted under the Article 328, including lifting the strict regime, which usually is applicable to the worse offenders, for example, deprivation of visits, food parcels and possibility of parole, clearly define a list of misconduct for which juvenile could be penalized at the time of detention, ban their placement in isolation rooms as a punitive measure, ensure full provision for juvenile during their time of imprisonment, including organization of healthcare and education, safe working conditions and work under conclusion of an official working contract with the deduction of all taxes to the pension fund;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k a (new) (ka) demand for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained after participating in the democratic revolution protests following the falsified presidential election of 9 August; demand the authorities to provide all information on people who went missing in relation to their participation in the protests after 9 August;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k b (new) Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k b (new) (kb) demand that all legal actions undertaken by the authorities against members of the Belarusian People's Coordination Council are dropped and all of them who are detained and arrested are freed;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point k c (new) (kc) deplore the Belarusian regime’s control over the access and sharing of information, notably blocking the Internet access and disrupting the printing of newspapers, and demand for and immediate and full restoration of the Internet and media services in Belarus;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l (l) support civil society organizations and independent media outlets and journalists, including those who work on a freelance basis with unregistered foreign media, express concern for the spread of fake news and disinformation in Belarus during the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage both the Belarusian authorities and the EU to develop specific programs that combat disinformation and propaganda;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l (l) support and create a safe working environment for independent media outlets and journalists, including those who work on a freelance basis with unregistered foreign media as they are an important source of information both for Belarus and about Belarus and provide a much- needed channel for alternative views;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the people of Belarus share common European heritage and culture, while directly neighbouring three EU Member States; whereas situation in Belarus may have direct impact on the EU;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l (l) monitor the situation of media freedom in Belarus and support independent media outlets and journalists, including those who work
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l (l) support independent media outlets and journalists, including those who work on a freelance basis with unregistered foreign media, as well as media based in Poland, such as Belsat TV, European Radio for Belarus and Radio Racja;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l (l) support independent media outlets and journalists
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l (l) support independent media outlets and journalists
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l (l) support independent media outlets
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l a (new) Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l a (new) (la) ensure that the new targeted sanctions apply to groups, individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in Belarus, as well as against those individuals, entities and enterprises, through which such actions are financed and enabled; at the same time, impose visa bans against regime representatives, sanctioned individuals and their family members;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l a (new) (la) consider the reintroduction of further restrictive measures against individuals involved in the violation of international human rights law, as well as in the crackdown on civil society and democratic opposition, given the current repression of human rights defenders, opposition figures, civil society activists, election observers, and independent media workers;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l a (new) (la) supports the decision by the European Council to impose individual sanctions, with regards to recent developments, and calls on Member States to swiftly impose these sanctions and expand the list of individual sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for human rights abuses, including adding Lukashenko to the list;
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l a (new) (la) effectively guarantee that EU international agreements comply with human rights, as there is no monitoring of their application and it is only applied following double standards and economic interest;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas the Belarusian people are in an urgent need of assistance and support from the international community;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l a (new) Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l a (new) (la) demand that any spread of disinformation in Belarus concerning the EU and its Member States is vigilantly countered as well as any hybrid threats undertaken by third actors;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l b (new) (lb) demand that Belarus establish an independent national human rights institution, create a new Human Rights Action Plan, and adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that counters the continued discrimination and stigmatisation of people living with disabilities, people with HIV, minorities, LGBTQI people, and families of detainees;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l b (new) (lb) reject the imposition of sanctions by the EU on third countries with the aim of protecting its geopolitical and economic interests independently of the humanitarian situation or the harm to the population;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l c (new) (lc) mainstream gender equality in the EU’s relations with Belarus and urge the government and authorities to effectively counter the continued stereotyping and discrimination against women, in particular in the employment sphere, by improving the gender pay gap, promoting women political engagement and granting women access to all sectors of employment, among others;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point l d (new) Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m (m) remind Belarus that the EU is its second-biggest trade partner
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m (m) remind Belarus that the EU is its second-biggest trade partner and that intensification of economic relations could bring much-needed balance for Belarusian external trade, which remains very dependent on Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m (m) remind Belarus that the EU is its second-biggest trade partner and that intensification of economic relations could bring
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m a (new) (ma) express concerns over Russia using negotiations for continuous supply of oil and gas to Belarus as a political pressure method, particularly in matters of damage to sovereignty of Belarus;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A c (new) Ac. whereas the Belarusian protests are of previously unseen scale, they are nationwide, intergenerational, with a visible leadership of women and include persons of different occupations: workers of the state-owned enterprises and TV stations, public servants, diplomats, teachers, law enforcement officers, artists and employees of the national cultural and social institutions; whereas the Belarusian people are assembling into peaceful protests despite losing or being threatened with losing their jobs, receiving inadequate fines, and worse, facing the health- and life-threatening violence and torture;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m a (new) (ma) remind the Belarusian authorities that the EU reacted fast and responded to the urgent needs of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, mobilizing over €60million to help tackle immediate needs, such as support to the health sector and vulnerable communities, as well as short-term needs to support the social and economic recovery;
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m b (new) (mb) note that Belarusian economy is stagnating, more than one fifth of Belarusian population lives in an absolute poverty with numbers tending to increase due to COVID-19 caused crisis; the minimum salary in Belarus is 375 Belarusian rubles per month or EUR 137; the country is facing a demographic crisis with population of the working-age shrinking and massive labour migration from Belarus;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m c (new) (mc) note the damaging effects to Belarusian economy caused by the refusal of Belarusian regime to enter into a dialogue with the Belarusian people, notably the ongoing nationwide workers’ strikes at the state owned enterprises, strikes of teachers, social and cultural workers, as well as the damaging effects to the IT sector, which might not recover to its previous level;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m d (new) (md) consider sectoral sanctions for Belarus, for example, to its energy sector, should the Lukashenka’s regime fail to halt repressions against the Belarusian people;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m e (new) (me) express regret towards unwillingness of Belarusian authorities to follow the recommendations of international finance institutions, such as the WB and IMF, and to implement reforms reducing the vast number of state-owned enterprises, reforming the business sector, encouraging entrepreneurship, supporting SMEs, reducing the public debt, outsourcing the costs of living to the population and improving conditions of labour market;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m f (new) Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m g (new) (mg) express concern over State regulations of damaging nature for the private sector, particularly a requirement to pay a minimum wage not lower than the average wage of the 10 most successful state-owned enterprises;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m h (new) (mh) encourage to improve working environment for vulnerable groups, particularly women, as 90 percent of women face discrimination in the employment sphere, and there are 181 professions that are considered unsuitable for women in Belarus;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point m i (new) (mi) address the problems faced by the independent trade unions, including denied registration, politically motivated prosecution of leaders of the independent trade unions, and forced membership of newly contracted employees to the state- controlled trade unions;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point n (n) welcome and encourage the energy diversification of Belarus, reducing its dependence on Russia through imports of oil and gas from new suppliers, including via the territory of the EU, as well as encourage improving the connectivity of Belarus’ energy sector while ensuring environmental sustainability;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A d (new) Ad. whereas the former President of the Republic of Belarus Aliaksandr Lukashenka uses brutal methods to crackdown on the peaceful Belarusian people demanding for their basic citizens’ rights and fundamental freedoms, refuses to enter into a national dialogue with the Belarusian people and does not recognize the National Coordination Council of Belarus, which was initiated by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the President-elect according to the Belarusian people, with the sole purpose of facilitating a peaceful and orderly transition of power through dialogue;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point n (n) welcome and encourage the energy diversification of Belarus, reducing its dependence on Russia through imports of oil and gas from new suppliers, including via the territory of the EU
Amendment 351 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point n (n) welcome and encourage the energy diversification of Belarus, reducing its dependence on Russia through imports of oil and gas from new suppliers, including via the territory of the EU and through the development of alternative energy sources;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point n (n)
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point n a (new) (na) strengthen cooperation with international authorities in the field of nuclear safety, and insist on access and monitoring of the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP);
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point n a (new) (na) express concerns over increasing investments into strategic infrastructure from China and warn about the effect of dependency it might create for Belarus;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o (o) emphasi
Amendment 356 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o (o) emphasise the importance that the EU attaches to the fight against climate change, notably through the implementation of the European Green Deal and the 2015 Paris Agreement, and encourage Belarus to enhance its cooperation with the EU on environmental matters, increase efforts to fight climate change, and implement climate change mainstreaming in all areas of policy- making;
Amendment 357 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o a (new) (oa) continue supporting Belarus World Trade Organisation accession process, as it will contribute to the creation of a more stable business environment in the country;
Amendment 358 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o a (new) Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o a (new) (oa) welcome the progress in implementing the Mobility partnership and visa facilitation and readmission agreements as part of a safe and well- managed mobility environment between the EU and Belarus;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A e (new) Ae. whereas the level of repression by the Belarusian regime significantly increased after the Presidential election leaving at least six Belarusian citizens dead, five due to injuries sustained during the protests and one over refusal to take part in the election fraud, over 7000 Belarusian people, including minors, were unlawfully detained, tortured and ill- treated, hundreds were injured, including children, at least 100 people remain in detention with approximately 60 individuals facing criminal charges, and the fate and whereabouts of at least eight people remain unknown;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o a (new) (oa) highlight initiatives in the framework of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP), which are concerted to tackle the most pressing environmental problems in the area;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o a (new) (oa) offer the alternative of strengthened and much closer cooperation with Belarus in case democratic changes, including new elections, become reality;
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o b (new) (ob) work together with the European Commission in order to develop a comprehensive programme for Belarus after the new presidential elections are held, which would allow Belarus to transition towards a free market economy and an open democratic state;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o b (new) Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o b (new) (ob) welcome the visa facilitation and readmission agreements which entered into force on July 1, as they represent an important step in strengthening the EU's engagement with the Belarusian people and civil society and pave the way for improved mobility of citizens, contributing to closer links between the EU and Belarus, while in the same time contributing to addressing irregular migration;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o c (new) (oc) express concerns over prevalent large-scale systemic corruption in Belarusian public institutions and state- owned companies, encourage and support anti-corruption investigations and informational campaigns, voice concerns over harassment and persecution of journalists reporting the corruption cases and insist on a safe environment for investigative journalists and whistle blowers;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point o d (new) (od) insists to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the financial flows of the family of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and his associates, including the activities of state enterprises of Belarus in offshore zones, as well as corruption schemes of Belarusian enterprises;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p (p) maintain that the EU is interested in the broadest possible people-to-people contacts as the best way of bringing the EU and Belarus closer together; promote exchange programmes with a proven track record such as MOST and reiterate that the visa facilitation agreement is a tangible expression of this policy;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p (p) maintain that the EU is interested in the broadest possible people-to-people
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p a (new) (pa) acknowledge that many voices of ongoing democratic revolution in Belarus are graduates of the EU Member States’ universities, participants of different the EU supported programs aimed to raise their professional qualifications and to enable professional activities;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A f (new) Af. whereas testimonies of the Belarusian protesters about the violence, torture and abuse they were subjected to during unlawful detention include reports of endless beatings, acts of rape, degrading treatment, inhumane detention conditions in overcrowded cells with no access to drinking water, meals, sanitary facilities and medical assistance; whereas after the release many people were hospitalized, some taken into the intensive care, with such injuries as broken limbs, cracked skulls, damaged eyesight and hearing, some of which together with incurred psychological traumas will have a life-long effects, including infertility;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p a (new) (pa) increase EUs political, financial, technological and informational support to the civil society in Belarus;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p b (new) (pb) support Belarusian youth who due to their participation at the nationwide protests will be deprived of education in Belarus and provide them with scholarships to study at the EU Member States’ educational institutions;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p c (new) (pc) provide scholarships for academicians who lost their teaching and research positions over participation in the protests;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p d (new) (pd) support educational programs for professional reorientation of the Belarusian civil servants who were fired or voluntary left the civil service;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p e (new) (pe) support education digitalization due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Belarus;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point p f (new) (pf) support cooperation in the sphere of culture through programmes such as Creative Europe and in particular projects aimed at fostering creativity, involving civil society organizations and initiatives at local level; promote and mobilize European solidarity with Belarusian society through cultural expressions;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point q (q) intensify efforts, including by increasing financial support, to ensure that young people in Belarus can benefit from better-quality education through progress in the implementation of the Bologna Process and increased opportunities to study in the EU via the Erasmus+ programme, which can help to change mind sets in Belarus, in real terms and in the long term, and naturally convey European values to the region;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point q (q) intensify efforts to ensure that young people in Belarus can benefit from better-quality education through progress in the implementation of the Bologna Process and
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point q (q) intensify efforts to ensure that young people in Belarus can benefit from better-quality education through progress in the implementation of the Bologna Process and increased academic mobility and opportunities to study in the EU via the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point q a (new) (qa) acknowledge and make use of the fact that growing mobility between the EU and Belarus increases citizens’ exposure to European values and support for democratic transformation;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A g (new) Ag. whereas medics were prevented from providing medical assistance to injured protesters and where exposed to brutal behaviour and violence when caring for the wounded;
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point q a (new) (qa) maintain financial support by the EU to the European Humanities University (EHU), a Belarusian university in exile in Vilnius;
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point r a (new) (ra) support cross-border cooperation and movement between Belarus and the neighbouring EU Member States, particularly encourage Belarusian authorities to implement the local border traffic regime with Lithuania, which would benefit those living within a 50- kilometer radius on both sides of the border;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point r a (new) (ra) provide active and direct support to Belarusian non-governmental organisations and communities, grant all necessary assistance to Belarusian citizens and human right defenders, and limit any financial or other support to the state institutions of Belarus;
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point r a (new) (ra) explore possibilities for visa-free travel to Belarusian citizens so that people-to-people contact is not held hostage to undemocratic principles of the Belarusian authorities;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point r b (new) (rb) strengthen the support programs for civil society, NGOs, journalists, European scholarship program for Belarusians, loans for specific reform programs, unlocking partnership priorities and full cooperation within the Eastern Partnership;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point r b (new) (rb) acknowledge the role of Belarusian diaspora in democratic awakening in Belarus and engage its members in the EU Member States as the important actors of a national dialogue in Belarus;
Amendment 386 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point r b (new) (rb) strengthen democracy support programmes and strategic communication, and support greater outreach to local communities beyond the traditional 'pro-European' cohorts;
Amendment 387 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point r c (new) (rc) commend the actions of the journalists and employees of public media outlets, who despite oppression and threats against them remained true to the journalist ethos and continued to support the democratic opposition and were subsequently fired; recognise the work of independent media, including Charter 97, Bielsat, Radio Svoboda and others; to use European Endowment for Democracy and other instruments in order to support these outlets and journalists who are subject to repression by the regime;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – point r d (new) (rd) urge Russian Federation not to engage into any actions that would threaten sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belarus and notice the valued solidarity expressed by Russian pro- democratic civil society with Belarusian activists; to warn against any attempts to militarize the situation and provoke tensions with the neighbouring countries;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A h (new) Ah. whereas the President-elect Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was intimidated and forced to leave Belarus two days after the Presidential election, as well as other civic and political activists and leaders of workers who due to the threats for their or their family members’ safety left Belarus;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 — having regard to the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the readmission of persons residing without authorisation, which
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A i (new) Ai. whereas the Belarusian regime seeks to intimidate and to disperse the National Coordination Council of Belarus by targeting its members and launching a criminal case against them; whereas so far two members of the National Coordination Council of Belarus, Siarhei Dyleuski and Volha Kovalkova, received a sentence of 10 days in prison each under charges of ‘staging an unauthorized event’;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A j (new) Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A k (new) Ak. whereas the leadership of the EU Member States and its institutions condemned the disproportionate and unacceptable violence displayed by the state authorities against peaceful protesters and decided to impose sanctions against individuals responsible for violence, repression and the falsification of election results;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A l (new) Al. whereas the lifting of the EU sanctions to Belarus in 2016 was done prematurely, not because Belarus fulfilled all conditions, but rather with a hope that it will continue on improving environment for political and civic participation, implementing the human rights and fundamental freedoms, and after the removal of sanctions there was no proper monitoring of expected improvements;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A m (new) Am. whereas on August 14 the Belarusian regime denied the entrance to Belarus for two Members of European Parliament, Robert Biedroń, chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Belarus, and Petras Auštrevičius, the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Belarus, traveling to Belarus upon invitation of the Belarusian civil society;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the OSCE ODIHR International Election Observation Mission noted an overall disregard for the fundamental freedoms of assembly, association and expression during the 2019 parliamentary elections, which took place after a limited
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas, despite the 2016 EU Council's decision to lift restrictive measures against 170 individuals and three companies in light of steps taken by Belarus to improve EU-Belarus relations, no progress has been achieved in areas of democratic governance and human rights, with increasing administrative, financial and physical repressions against the democratic opposition, civil society organisations, journalists and bloggers, and even ordinary people;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the Belarusian Central Electoral Commission denied registration as candidates in the 2020 Presidential elections to regime-critical politicians, who had reportedly collected more than 100,000 signatures, as prescribed by the national legislation, underlining the disproportionate and unreasonable barriers to candidacy, contrary to OSCE commitments and other international standards;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 — having regard to the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas2 , which
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the 2020 presidential elections have thus far followed the same pattern as the parliamentary elections; whereby there were many candidates, but a restrictive and arbitrary registration process prevented most of them from participating, including the arrest of the main presidential contender Viktar Babaryka and of Siarhei Tsikhanouski, the husband of another key candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and a denied registration by the Central Election Commission to a key opposition candidate Valery Tsapkala over insufficient number of valid ballot access signatures with no possibility to appeal for reassessment of the rejected signatures;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the 2020 presidential elections have thus far followed
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the 2020 presidential elections
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the 2020 presidential elections have
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the 2020 presidential elections have thus far followed
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the 2020 presidential elections
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the 2020 presidential elections have
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas no new political party has been registered in Belarus since 2000 despite repeated attempts, due to burdensome registration process and wide discretionary powers of the Ministry of Justice to reject applications on formalistic grounds, thereby limiting the right to freedom of association; whereas participants in the activities of unregistered organizations are still being persecuted, only criminal liability has been replaced by administrative fines since the entry into force of new legislation in July 2019;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 — having regard to the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas2 , which
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the government of Belarus failed to issue a timely invitation to OSCE/ODIHR for the observation of the 9 August presidential elections, leading to the absence of independent international observers during these elections;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas OSCE observers were not invited and could not, therefore, observe the presidential election, although they have done so since 2001;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas the presidential campaign in Belarus took place against the background of continuous repression, which reached another level of violence after announcement of the official and fraudulent election results; whereas reports suggest of 703 cases of reprisals against civilians in Belarus (out of which 127 are women), including physical violence, kidnapping, and threats of the removal of children, as of 1 July 2020, and a total sum of received fines reached the amount of EUR73,748 and is increasing; whereas criminal proceedings were initiated against 33 people, including against bloggers, presidential candidates and their headquarters; whereas at least 420 people were arrested across Belarus on 14-15 July 2020 during the protests against the decision of the Central Election Commission not to register Viktar Babaryka and Valery Tsapkala as official presidential candidates;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" report of further measures that disadvantaged opposition candidates, such as restricting locations where election activities can lawfully take place, detaining members of candidates’ campaign teams, and blocking nearly all opposition nominees to Precinct Election Commissions (PECs), leading to 1.1% of the total number of elected nominees from opposition parties and 96.7% from pro-government parties;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas individuals, including Svetlana Alexievitch, have been summoned for questioning and members of the opposition’s coordination council have been arrested;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas the human rights situation in Belarus continued to deteriorate during the election campaign, with growing numbers of arbitrary detentions and fines, including for participating in peaceful assemblies; whereas NGOs and observers report of reprisals against regime opponents, election observers, journalists, bloggers, civil society activists, and human rights defenders, including through physical violence, abductions, administrative fines, threats of losing custody of a child, criminal proceedings, as well as physical and psychological torture;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas pre-election arrests were related to the series protest movements, namely weekly protests against a battery factory in Brest, the Youth Bloc rally in Minsk against the decision to hold the annual Victory Day parade on 9 May in the context of COVID-19, numerous gatherings in protest against the arrests of presidential hopefuls Viktar Babaryka and Siarhei Tsikhanouski and against the Central Election Commission’s decision not to register Viktar Babaryka and Valery Tsapkala as official presidential candidates;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas hundreds of people were arrested during the opposition protests and detained in appalling conditions;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C d (new) Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C d (new) Cd. whereas Belarus has seen unprecedented protests calling for free and fair new elections, following the presidential elections of 9 August and the announcement of a falsified result, claiming victory for the incumbent president; whereas the protests led to a violent crackdown and thousands of arrests, coupled with reports of inhumane conditions and treatment in places of detention;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 a (new) — having regard to a joint statement on Belarus of EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA and ECR groups in the European Parliament of 17 August 2020,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C e (new) Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C e (new) Ce. whereas according to Belarusian human rights organizations there are over 40 persons detained for political reasons in Belarus; whereas among imprisoned Belarusian opposition members is Mikola Statkevich, a democratic contender in 2010 Presidential elections, who was a prisoner of conscience from 2011 until 2017; whereas Belarusian human rights organisations declared Siarhei Tsikhanouski a prisoner of conscience, as well as other imprisoned persons in his case: Yauhen Raznichenka, Dzmitry Furmanau, Viarhili Ushak, Aliaksandr Aranovich, Vasil Babrouski, Artsiom Sakau, and Uladzimir Navumik;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C f (new) Cf. whereas there was almost no representation of the democratic political parties, civil society organizations, and independent civic initiatives on the participation and observation in the electoral commissions;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C g (new) Cg. whereas due to a lack of timely invitation from Belarusian authorities, the OSCE was not able to send an election observation mission to Belarus to observe 2020 Presidential election;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C h (new) Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C i (new) Ci. whereas in 2016, the EU lifted the restrictive measures against 170 individuals and four companies in Belarus, which were enacted due to post- 2010 Presidential election crackdowns, and currently applies an embargo on arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression, and an asset freeze and travel ban against four persons suspected of involvement in disappearances of two opposition politicians, one businessman and one journalist in 1999 and in 2000;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities denied that COVID-19 had spread in the country, thereby wasting precious time that could have been used to prepare and protect the country’s population and in particular its medical staff, did not cancel mass events, notably the military parade on 9 May with thousands of participants and the annual community work day attended by a quarter of Belarusian population, and instead engaged in the intimidation of journalists and ordinary people who dared to contradict the official government narrative, as a result Belarus has one of Europe's highest per capita COVID-19 infection rates and is a health threat to the region;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities denied that COVID-19 had spread in the country, thereby wasting precious time that could have been used to prepare and protect the country’s population and in particular its medical staff, did not cancel mass events, and instead engaged in the intimidation of journalists and ordinary people who dared to contradict the official government narrative; whereas the government and the President of Belarus failed to provide facts about and react timely to the pandemic, and were instead actively spreading false information that jeopardized the health of its citizens;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities denied that COVID-19 had spread in the country, thereby wasting precious time that could have been used to prepare and protect the country’s population and in particular its medical staff, did not cancel mass events, and instead engaged in the intimidation of journalists and ordinary people who
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities denied that COVID-19 had spread in the country, thereby wasting precious time that could have been used to prepare and protect the country’s population and in particular its medical staff
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 a (new) — having regard to the 6th round of the bilateral Human Rights Dialogue between the EU and Belarus on 18 June 2019 in Brussels,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities denied that COVID-19 had spread in the country, thereby wasting precious time that could have been used to prepare and protect the country’s population and in particular its medical staff, did not cancel mass events, and instead engaged in the intimidation of journalists and bloggers, the democratic opposition, civil society organisations and ordinary people who dared to contradict the official government narrative;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the EU stood in solidarity with the people of Belarus from the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing financial and material support through bilateral and regional programmes;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas there are no independent Belarusian news agencies registered in Belarus, and press freedom in Belarus has significantly deteriorated since 2015
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas press freedom in Belarus has
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas there are no independent news agencies registered in Belarus, and press freedom in Belarus has significantly deteriorated since 2015
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas press freedom in Belarus has significantly deteriorated
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas press freedom in Belarus has significantly deteriorated since 2015, the few independent journalists
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas in the last months, 8 media resources received warnings from the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus, mainly for violating the Media Legislation and “disseminating information that could harm the national interests of Belarus”; whereas the human rights defenders and journalists who observed or covered the demonstrations in relation to the Presidential election, and those who have criticised the state’s environmental policy or commented on COVID-19 have also been targeted and may face criminal charges, at least 6 journalists received administrative arrests of 77 days, others were subjected to paying fines; whereas among arrested journalists are those working for such international news organizations as BBC, DW, Reuters and the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and all of the human rights defenders targeted are from different regions of Belarus, particularly Brest, Mogilev, Rechytsa, Svetlogorsk, Bobruysk, and six of the human rights defenders detained are from the leading human rights organization in Belarus, the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas human rights and democracy in Belarus have been deliberately and brutally restricted by the Belarusian authorities over the past decades, while representatives of the opposition, civil society and media in the country have been regularly arrested or otherwise persecuted;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 b (new) — having regard to the Joint Statement by High Representative/Vice- President Josep Borrell and Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi of 10 August 2020, as well as the Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the presidential elections in Belarus of 11 August 2020,
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas there has been notable increase in engagement with the Belarusian civil society, including through EU-supported activities and intensifying people-to-people contact;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas pressure has been placed on Belarusian and foreign journalists to prevent them from covering the opposition’s actions;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas after the Presidential election the Belarusian regime further tightened its grip on media freedom and people’s right to access and share information by blocking the Internet access, disrupting the printing of newspapers, arresting local and foreign correspondents and exposing them to torture and inhumane treatment, journalists were specifically targeted and several got injured while covering the Belarusian regime authorised crackdown on peaceful protesters; whereas the state- owned TV stations do not cover ongoing protests and atrocities committed by the Lukashenka’s regime and are being used for spreading propaganda, attacking and discrediting Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, political activists and peaceful protesters, after resignation of journalists at the state owned TV stations, they were replaced by propaganda experts from Russia;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has displayed the resilience, strong resolve and unprecedented self- organisation of the Belarusian society, particularly in light of the authorities' lethargic response, and even denials of the pandemic and its impact;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas the Belarusian regime seeks to intimidate and to disperse the Coordination Council of Belarus by targeting its members and launching a criminal case against them;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E c (new) Ec. whereas independent journalists cooperating with and working for foreign media are prosecuted under article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which makes it illegal to receive financial rewards from media that are not dully registered and accredited in Belarus; whereas Belsat TV channel, which is officially registered in Poland, does not receive registration in Belarus and its activities are under constant pressure and attacks, including brutal detentions of its journalists and fines imposed to its contributors totalling USD 101,791 as of 18 June 2020;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E d (new) Ed. whereas Belsat TV channel, which is officially registered in Poland, so far has not been registered in Belarus, while its activities are under constant pressure and attacks, including brutal detentions of its journalists and fines imposed to its contributors amounting to USD 101,791 as of 18 June 2020;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E d (new) Ed. whereas Belarusian regime is repressing art activists, bloggers and other cultural workers, who use their work to criticize the government and to support the political opposition; whereas as of 29 June 2020, 73 cases of repressed people who are somehow involved in art activity were recorded, with 21 person being imprisoned and 20 criminal cases initiated; whereas Belarusian human rights organizations have recognized 9 art activists as political prisoners;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E e (new) Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E f (new) Ef. whereas the widespread impunity of law enforcement officers contributes to even further human rights violations and retaliations against human rights defenders; whereas human rights organizations along with other civil society organizations are systematically denied registration and legislative amendments passed in 2011 made it illegal for these organizations to hold funds abroad and established criminal liability for receiving foreign grants or donations; whereas these regulations were further tightened in May, 2020 with a new Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus "On foreign aid";
source: 657.166
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