2023/2041(INI) Relations with Belarus
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET |
AUŠTREVIČIUS Petras ( Renew)
|
KALNIETE Sandra ( EPP),
REUTEN Thijs ( S&D),
VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL Viola ( Verts/ALE),
MARIANI Thierry ( ID),
FOTYGA Anna ( ECR),
PINEDA Manu ( GUE/NGL)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Events
2023/09/13
EP - Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
Documents
2023/09/13
EP - Decision by Parliament
Documents
2023/09/12
EP - Debate in Parliament
Documents
2023/07/31
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (Renew, LT) on relations with Belarus.
Belarusian society continues to be exposed to systemic human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by the Lukashenko regime. More than 1 500 people are still imprisoned for political reasons, and around 300 000 Belarusian citizens have fled the country because of persecution or fear of persecution.
Continuous repression by the Lukashenka regime and EU support for repressed persons
The report condemned in the strongest terms the unabated repression and the systematic and widespread human rights violations continuously committed by the Lukashenka regime, including manifold cases of mistreatment and torture, as well as the incommunicado detention of and inadequate medical assistance provided to political prisoners and other persons prosecuted on politically motivated grounds, such as journalists, human rights defenders, independent trade union activists and others.
Members demanded that the Lukashenka regime end this spiral of violence, torture, repression and propaganda against dissenting voices and perceived critics, immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, declare a universal amnesty for all those arrested on political grounds since 2020 and enable the peaceful transfer of power after the organisation of free and fair elections.
The report called on the Commission and the Member States to continue enabling human rights defenders, lawyers and civil society organisations to provide services to political prisoners and their families, particularly social aid, healthcare and public defence.
Involvement of the Lukashenka regime in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
The report condemned in the strongest possible terms the Lukashenka regime’s involvement in Russia’s war aggression against Ukraine It condemned, in this regard, the regime’s massive provision of ammunition and military hardware to the Russian aggressors, particularly the manufacture of components for the Russian military, as well as the stationing of Russian troops in Belarus and their training by Belarusian instructors, the welcoming of Russia’s illegal and state-sponsored terrorist organisation the Wagner Group and the threat to join the aggression.
Noting that the vast majority of Belarusians disapprove of this multifaceted involvement in Russia’s war of aggression, Members expressed their full support for the Belarusian activists who are resisting the aggressors within Belarus.
The report denounced the illegal transfer of more than 2 150 children, including orphans, from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to so-called recreational camps in Belarus, where they are subjected to Russification and indoctrination. While supporting Ukrainian prosecutors’ investigation into the role of Belarus in the forced deportations, Members consider Lukashenka as responsible for these war crimes as Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova and therefore called on the ICC to consider issuing a similar international warrant for Lukashenka’s arrest.
By enabling Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, the Lukashenka regime has become an accomplice in the crimes committed by Russia, which implies responsibility for the destruction and damage caused to Ukraine. The report called, therefore, for the EU institutions and the Member States to take all the actions necessary to enable the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are complicit in the crime of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide committed against Ukraine.
Members called for Russia and Belarus to be put on the EU’s high-risk third-country list regarding combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
The International Olympic Committee and other international sports federations are urged not to allow athletes from Belarus and Russia, many of whom support or have even participated in Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games or any other international sports events.
Sovereignty of Belarus and protection of its language and national culture
Members regretted the fact that Belarus has become a satellite state of Russia and condemned the actions of the two regimes, which might lead to the eventual absorption and annexation of Belarus by Russia. They condemned the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons under Russian command on Belarusian territory, in blatant violation of Belarus’s nuclear-free status.
The report called for the EU and the Member States to maintain unity in addressing the multifaceted threats posed by the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka to the EU, in particular the continued and growing state-engineered instrumentalisation of migration. It strongly condemned the use of migration for political ends by the Belarusian authorities and sees this as a purposefully orchestrated reprisal by the Lukashenka regime against EU Member States’ for their support for the democratic forces of Belarus.
Members reminded all EU businesses operating in Belarus of its previous call to exercise particular diligence and uphold their responsibility to respect human rights. They expressed solidarity with the Belarusians seeking to protect and nurture their national identity, particularly through efforts to spread the use of the Belarusian language. They also urged the Belarusian regime to end its discrimination and violence against all minorities, in particular ethnic, religious and sexual minorities.
Support for democracy and European aspirations
Belarus has historical ties with the rest of Europe and shares the heritage of European culture and identity. It should remain a part of the European political, cultural and economic space. Members support the declarations about the European aspirations of Belarusians made by the leaders of Belarusian democratic political parties. They called for the EU institutions and Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy, coupled with a broad economic plan, that would provide support for the Belarusian democratic forces with a view to fostering a democratic transition in the country and upholding Belarus’s independence and sovereignty.
The report also stressed the need to:
- improve EU communication with the people in Belarus to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media;
- simplify the procedures for obtaining visas and residence permits for those fleeing Belarus for political reasons;
- continue and broaden support for the cultural and educational activities of Belarusian civil society and academic institutions, including those aimed at supporting the Belarusian language and the independent media;
- establish an operational dialogue with the representatives of the democratic forces of Belarus to bring to a successful conclusion the work on the adoption of a roadmap for implementing the economic and investment package of EUR 3 billion already planned by the Commission to meet the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people.
Documents
2023/07/18
EP - Vote in committee
2023/06/12
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2023/05/09
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2023/04/20
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2022/12/01
EP - AUŠTREVIČIUS Petras (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in AFET
Documents
- Text adopted by Parliament, single reading: T9-0321/2023
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0321/2023
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0258/2023
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.739
- Committee draft report: PE746.738
- Committee draft report: PE746.738
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.739
- Text adopted by Parliament, single reading: T9-0321/2023
Activities
- Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS
Plenary Speeches (2)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Heidi HAUTALA
Plenary Speeches (2)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Anna FOTYGA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Sandra KALNIETE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- David McALLISTER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Evelyn REGNER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Helmut SCHOLZ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Clare DALY
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Juozas OLEKAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Andrius KUBILIUS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Isabel SANTOS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Mick WALLACE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Karin KARLSBRO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Karen MELCHIOR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Evin INCIR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Tomasz FRANKOWSKI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Rasa JUKNEVIČIENĖ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Miriam LEXMANN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
- Thijs REUTEN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2023/09/12 Relations with Belarus (debate)
Votes
Relations avec la Biélorussie - A9-0258/2023 - Petras Auštrevičius - Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) #
2023/09/13 Outcome: +: 453, 0: 40, -: 21
PPE
The Left
NI| Amendments | Dossier |
| 271 |
2023/2041(INI)
2023/06/08
AFET
271 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) – having regard to declaration of independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union on August 25, 1991,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 c (new) – having regard the Human Rights Watch World Report 2022 on Belarus,
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G f (new) Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G g (new) Gg. whereas Belarus has failed to abide by key findings of a 2004 ILO Commission of Inquiry, and the Lukashenka regime has continued the persecution of trade unionists;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G h (new) Gh. whereas the Belarusian authorities often resort to surveillance, online censorship, and disinformation, deploying technologies to control the population; whereas such a repressive practice represents another step towards digital authoritarianism and suppression of digital rights of persons in Belarus, resulting in escalating intimidation of citizens and shrinking of civic space;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G i (new) Gi. whereas Belarus remains the only country in Europe and Central Asia to impose and carry out the death penalty;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 (new) Continuous repression by the Lukashenka regime and EU support for repressed
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Condemns in the strongest terms the unabated repression and the systematic and widespread human rights violations committed by the Lukashenka regime, including manifold cases of mistreatment
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Condemns in the strongest terms the unabated repression and the systematic and widespread human rights violations committed by the Lukashenka regime, including manifold cases of mistreatment and torture of political prisoners and other persons prosecuted on politically- motivated grounds; continues to stand in solidarity with the brave people of Belarus who stand up for a sovereign, free and democratic Belarus, risking their freedom and lives;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Condemns in the strongest terms the unabated repression and the systematic and widespread human rights violations committed by the Lukashenka regime, including manifold cases of mistreatment and torture of political prisoners; continues
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Condemns in the strongest terms the unabated repression and the systematic and widespread human and civil rights violations committed by the Lukashenka regime, including manifold cases of mistreatment and torture of political prisoners; continues to stand in solidarity with the brave people of Belarus and civil society organisations who stand up for a sovereign, free and democratic Belarus, risking their freedom and lives;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Condemns in the strongest terms the unabated repression and the systematic and widespread human rights violations committed by the Lukashenka regime, including manifold cases of mistreatment and torture of political prisoners, journalists and human rights defenders; continues
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 – having regard to the statement by High Representative Josep Borrell of 3 March 2023 on the sentencing of Ales Bialiatski and other Human Rights Defenders and of the statement by High Representative Josep Borrell of 17 January 2023 on the trial against Andrzej Poczobut - a journalist and member of the board of independent Union of Poles of Belarus,
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Belarusian regime to end this spiral of propaganda, violence, torture and repression against dissenting voices and perceived critics, to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, and declare a pervasive amnesty for all those who were arrested on political grounds since 2020 and to engage in a genuine dialogue with representatives of the democratic forces and civil society in order to find a way out of the current political crisis through the organisation of free and fair elections to be organised under international observation led by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Belarusian regime to end this spiral of violence, torture and repression against dissenting voices and perceived critics, to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, and to engage in a genuine dialogue with representatives of the democratic forces and civil society in order to find a way out of the current political crisis through the organisation of free and fair elections to be organised under international observation led by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and underpinned by independent and free media and a strong civil society;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Belarusian regime to end this spiral of violence, torture and repression against dissenting voices and perceived critics, to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained,
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Urges the
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Belarusian regime to end this spiral of violence, torture and repression against dissenting voices and perceived critics, to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, and to engage in a genuine dialogue with representatives of the democratic forces and civil society in order to find a way out of the current political and human rights crisis through the organisation of free and fair elections to be organised under international observation led by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Belarusian regime to end this spiral of violence, torture and repression against dissenting voices and perceived critics, to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, and to engage in a genuine dialogue with representatives of the democratic forces and civil society in order to find a way out of the current political crisis through the organisation of free and fair elections
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the regime to provide necessary medical treatment to the prisoners with serious diseases and health issues, including Maria Kalesnikava, Viktar Babaryka, Ryhor Kastusiou, Iryna Melcher, Halina Dzierbysz, Henadz Fedynich, Marfa Rabkova, Vasil Berasneu, Viachaslau Areshka, Uladzimir Hundar, Uladzimir Matskevich, Mikalai Statkevich, Alena Hnauk, Andrei Voinich, Aliaksandr Fiaduta, Mikita Zalatarou, Dzmitry Zalomski, Aliaksei Hubich, Vadzim Hurman, Antanina Kanavalava, Andrei Skurko, Darya Afanasieva, Arseni Maiseichyk, Ihar Mints, Pavel Hancharyk, Siarhei Batura, Viachaslau Dashkevich, Daniil Kastsiukevich, Mikhail Khamitsevich, Maryna Markevich, Yauhen Liulkovich, Volha Tsybulskaya, Volha Zalatar, Artsiom Bayarski, Ksenia Lutskina, Pavel Kuchynski, Uladzimir Malakhouski, Ruslan Slutski, Alena Maushuk, Larysa Kuzmenka, Kiryl Palcheuski, Yury Prakharenka, Siarhei Verashchahin, Viachaslau Rahashchuk, Aliaksandr Kapshul, Raman Karanevich, Vital Melnik, Aksana Zaretskaya and Viktoryia Kulsha. Reiterates its demand on the Lukashenka regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Condemns the Belarusian authorities for targeting the country’s ethnic Polish and Lithuanian communities and other minority and culture groups for political reasons; condemns the arrest of Andżelika Borys, Andrzej Poczobut and other members of the Polish community after the fraudulent presidential elections of 2020; considers the charges of ‘inciting hatred’ and the ‘rehabilitation of Nazism’ as political, devoid of any merit and legal value; takes note that Andżelika Borys has since been cleared of the politically motivated charges; Further condemns the sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut to eight years in prison; denounces the rejection of his appeal against his sentence; calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners of the Polish and Lithuanian communities in Belarus;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Expresses deep concern over the alleged use of the forced labour of inmates in Belarusian penal colonies in particular by suppliers to major EU-based companies; calls on all EU-based companies to terminate relations with any Belarusian suppliers which use forced labour in their supply chains as far as not yet falling under restrictive measures, and calls on the Council to impose sanctions on any Belarusian companies which use forced labour in their supply chains;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 a (new) – having regard he United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC, also called the Palermo Convention) of 15 November 2000,
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Demands that the Lukashenka regime immediately guarantee proper medical supervision of the health of political prisoners and the possibility of independent international medical commissions to have access to them; in particular calls on the IRC to intensify its support for oppressed Belarusians, demands an independent investigation and expert report into the deaths of political prisoners which prove that Lukashenka's prisons are an instrument of killing;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Belarusian regime to refrain from any kind of harassment also of former political prisoners who have now been released; urges the regime to allow these former prisoners to live their life in freedom and give them full access to the labour market, social life, as well as their bank account and assets;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Demands that the Lukashenka regime provides a proper medical care to all political prisoners and provides access to them for the international medical experts; demands an independent investigation into the deaths of political prisoners under custody by the regime;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Strongly condemns the persecution of religious communities in Belarus, as well as the persecution of clerics and laity, who in their religious activities refuse to support the position of the Lukashenka regime and express disagreement with its policies, including the sentencing of Orthodox priest Sergei Rezanovich, his wife and son to 16 years in prison, the pressure on the late Orthodox Archbishop Artemy (Kishchanka), the former Grodno and Vaukavysk, as well as regular arrests of clergy including the arrests in May 2023 of the Catholic priests - Viachaslau Adamovich, Andrei Kulik, Aliaksandr Shautsou, and catechism teacher Uladzislau Beladzied, taking away of churches from Catholics in Minsk, as well as the prohibition of the ministry of Protestant communities;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Underlines that the usurper Lukashenka and his entourage should be removed from power and put to trial for their crimes against the people of Belarus; calls for the Member States and the EU to take all necessary action in international institutions and proceedings and at the International Criminal Court or other appropriate international tribunals or courts to support the investigation and prosecution, in relation to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, of the actions of those politically responsible in Belarus, in particular Aliaksandr Lukashenka, as war crimes and crimes against humanity;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Demands that Aliaksandr Lukashenka, the dictator of Belarus, who has been importing migrants and assisting their illegal crossing of the Polish and Lithuanian borders since 2021, should be sought by Interpol and other international institutions and tried for human smuggling at an international court, such as the International Court of Justice;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Reiterates that the Lukashenka regime’s unilateral withdrawal from the Eastern Partnership policy, announced on 28 January 2021, has no legitimacy as it does not reflect the true will of the Belarusian people; calls on the EU institutions to invite to their meetings Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a legitimate representative of Belarus people; welcomes upcoming signing of the Agreement of Cooperation between EP and the Democratic forces of Belarus;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Reiterates that the Lukashenka regime’s unilateral withdrawal from the Eastern Partnership policy, announced on 28 January 2021, has no legitimacy as it does not reflect the true will of the Belarusian people and their aspirations for a free, democratic State;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 b (new) – having regard The Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action Against Human Trafficking (GRETA) second evaluation report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Anti-trafficking Convention by Belarus adopted on 28 June 2022,
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the EU institutions and its Member States to explore the possibility of allowing representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces and civil society to take up the empty seats, in bilateral and multilateral formats, in particular within the framework of the Eastern Partnership policy, which were previously occupied by representatives of the Belarusian authorities; calls on the Commission to include independent, non regime- affiliated Belarusian experts as national representatives for Belarus in cooperation programmes such as EU4Climate, EU4Environment and other initiatives;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the EU institutions and its Member States to explore the possibility of allowing representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces and civil society to take up the empty seats, in bilateral and multilateral formats, in particular within the framework of the Eastern Partnership policy, which were previously occupied by representatives of the Belarusian authorities; regrets that the Belarusian civil society and the Belarusian Freedom Movement is currently not yet able to take part in multilateral formats like the European Political Community (EPC);
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Condemns the practice of “chain arrests”, or unjustified extensions of pre- trial detention for minor offences or trumped-up “extremism” charges, especially used against human rights defenders; deplores the conditions of pre- trial detention, including denial of medical treatment and basic hygiene products, in addition to widespread and well-documented instances of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment like fake executions;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the leaders of the Member States, the President of the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council, as well as the political leaders of the remaining participating states of the European Political Community to include the Belarusian Freedom Movement in the European Political Community, for instance by giving them an observer status;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Encourages the Foreign Affairs Council to extend a standing invitation to Ms Tsikhanouskaya, as leader of the Belarusian United Transitional Cabinet, to attend meetings of the FAC that concern Belarus;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Notes that the inclusion of representatives of political, civil society and human rights organizations of Democratic Belarus ("Belarusian Freedom Movement") with observer status in the EPC would also strengthen the platform for developing joint strategies against authoritarian regimes and for democracy in Europe;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Denounces politically motivated ‘show trials’ and trumped up charges aimed at instilling fear in representatives and supporters of the democratic forces, civil society, independent media, free trade unions and human rights defenders, and in particular the recent sentencing to long prison terms of Nobel Peace Prize and Sakharov Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Zmitser Salauyou, Uladzimir Labkovich, Raman Pratasevich, Henadz Fiadynich, Vasil Berasneu and Vatslau Areshka, and Mikalai Statkevich, as well as the sentencing in absentia of leading figures of the democratic forces such as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Pavel Latushka, Maryia Maroz, Volha Kavalkova, Siarhei Dyleuski, Valery Tsapkala, Stsiapan Putsila and Yan Rudzik on spurious charges of ‘conspiracy to seize power’ or ‘forming extremist organisations’
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Denounces politically motivated ‘show trials’ aimed at instilling fear in representatives and supporters of the democratic forces, civil society, independent media, free trade unions and human rights defenders, and in particular the recent sentencing to long prison terms of Nobel Peace Prize and Sakharov Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Zmitser Salauyou, Uladzimir Labkovich, Raman Pratasevich, Henadz Fiadynich, Vasil Berasneu and Vatslau Areshka, Maryna Zolatava, Ludmila Chekina and Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk as well as the sentencing in absentia of leading figures of the democratic forces such as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Pavel Latushka, Maryia Maroz, Volha Kavalkova, Siarhei Dyleuski, Valery Tsapkala, Stsiapan Putsila and Yan Rudzik on spurious charges of ‘conspiracy to seize power’ or ‘forming extremist organisations’;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 – having regard to the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of 4 March 2022 as well as 17 March 2023 on the situation of human rights in Belarus in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Denounces politically motivated ‘show trials’ aimed at instilling fear in representatives and supporters of the democratic forces, civil society, independent media, free trade unions and human rights defenders, and in particular the recent sentencing to long prison terms of Nobel Peace Prize and Sakharov Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Zmitser Salauyou, Uladzimir Labkovich,
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Denounces politically motivated ‘show trials’ aimed at instilling fear in representatives and supporters of the democratic forces, civil society, independent media, free trade unions and human rights defenders, and in particular the recent sentencing to long prison terms of Nobel Peace Prize and Sakharov Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Zmitser Salauyou, Uladzimir Labkovich,
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Denounces politically motivated ‘show trials’ aimed at instilling fear in representatives and supporters of the democratic forces, civil society, independent media, free trade unions and human rights defenders, and in particular the recent sentencing to long prison terms of Nobel Peace Prize and Sakharov Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Zmitser Salauyou, Uladzimir Labkovich,
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Denounces politically motivated ‘show trials’ aimed at instilling fear in representatives and supporters of the democratic forces, civil society, independent media, free trade unions and human rights defenders, religious communities and in particular the recent sentencing to long prison terms of Nobel Peace Prize and Sakharov Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich,
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Reiterates its call on the Belarusian authorities to put an immediate end to the ill-treatment of political prisoners, who are being held in cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions, without adequate medical care and without access to lawyers and family members; is deeply concerned that imprisoned democratic opposition leaders Viktar Babaryka and Maria Kalesnikava have been secretly transferred to hospital without any information on their state of health, and that there is no information on the state of Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Mikalai Statkevich, Maksim Znak and Ihar Losik;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Demands information and access to imprisoned political prisoners: former potential presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka, who was hospitalised with the signs of beating; political prisoner and Belarusian social democrat Mikalai Statkevich, about whom there has been no news since mid-February and Andrzej Poczobut, journalist and one of the leaders the Polish minority in Belarus and a political prisoner and an activist of European Belarus civic campaign Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Reiterates its condemnation of the politically-motivated imprisonment of opposition politicians Viktar Babaryka, Maryia Kalesnikava, Maksim Znak, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, and Mikalay Statkevich, as well as journalists Ihar Losik and Katsiaryna Andreyeva, and others; calls for an independent investigation into the death of activist Raman Bandarenka in November 2020 caused by a vicious beating, allegedly by plain clothed police officers or their proxies;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Condemns the persecution of the Polish and other minorities in Belarus and of their representatives; calls on the Belarusian authorities to cease all measures taken against the Polish and Lithuanian minorities and to respect their rights, including the right to education in Polish and Lithuanian; demands immediate realise of Andrzej Poczobut;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Condemns the continued incarceration of political prisoners, including democratic opposition leaders Pavel Sevyarynets and Mikhalai Statkevich who have been jailed for over 3 years, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the Belarusian authorities to immediately seize the temporal removal and threat of removal of children from the custody of their parents to punish the parents for protesting or political activism;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 – having regard to the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Urges the Belarussian government to end discrimination and violence against all minorities, in particular ethnic, religious and sexual minorities;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Deplores that institutions for children with disabilities have had problems with proper diagnostics, education, and social reintegration as well as public accountability and transparency; underlines the need for deinstitutionalisation and the repeal of the Belarusian law that discriminates against children and persons with disabilities, limiting their ability to access primary, secondary, and higher education depending on their degree of disability;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enable human rights defenders, lawyers and civil society organisations to continue providing services, particularly social aid, healthcare and public defence, to political prisoners and their families;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Condemns the regime's planned deregistration of democratic political parties in Belarus on the basis on the new Law on Political Parties, which may ultimately lead to the de facto banning of any political party in opposition to the regime;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Urges Belarusian authorities to immediately commute all death sentences and establish an immediate moratorium on the use of death penalty as the first step towards full and permanent abolition;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Condemns the recent decisions of the Lukashenka’s authorities aimed at liquidation of Polish schools and eliminating education in the Polish language;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Calls on the Belarussian government to impose an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, as a step towards its abolition;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Is appalled that Belarusian authorities continue the practice of placing persons with different disabilities in the same facilities and does not provide any groups with specialized care, that more than 10,000 persons with disabilities who lived in “psychoneurological” institutions are deprived of legal rights, and courts designated directors of these institutions as their legal guardians; underlines the need to repeal provisions allowing involuntary deprivation of liberty;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls on the Commission, Member States and the EEAS to cooperate with international partners, such as the OSCE Moscow Mechanism and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as human rights defenders and civil society on the ground to ensure monitoring, documentation and reporting of human rights violations and subsequent accountability and justice for victims; reiterates its support for the International Accountability Platform for Belarus;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls on the International Labour Organization to consider at its 111th Session, to be held in Geneva on 17 June 2023, to apply the restrictive measures listed under article 33 of the ILO Constitution to Belarus as a response to the continued persecution of independent trade union leaders and activists and of the systematic violations of workers’ rights by Lukashenka’s regime;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 a (new) – having regard to the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report of 11 May 2023 on the serious threat to the OSCE human dimension in Belarus since 5 November 2020,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls on the Belarusian authorities to allow diplomats and international organisations, in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross, to visit political prisoners so that they can assess their condition and provide aid;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 d (new) 5d. Calls on the International Committee of the Red Cross to intensify its support for political prisoners and other oppressed persons in Belarus;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 e (new) 5e. Calls on the EU and Member States diplomats, despite existing difficulties, to engage and support the civil society, human rights defenders, independent media, pro-democratic groups and families of political prisoners in Belarus;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Reiterates its call for the EU Member States to prepare the ground for the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are responsible for or complicit in electoral fraud and grave human rights violations, under the accepted principles of
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Reiterates its call for the EU Member States to prepare the ground for the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are responsible for or complicit in electoral fraud and grave human rights violations, under the principle of universal justice; highlights the valuable work of NGOs in and outside of Belarus who document cases of torture and thus lay important groundwork for the future prosecution of crimes committed by the Lukashenka regime;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Reiterates its call for the EU Member States to prepare the ground for the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Reiterates its call for the EU Member States to prepare the ground for the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are responsible for or complicit in electoral fraud and grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity, under the principle of universal ju
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Encourages the Member States to further simplify the procedures and guaranteeing access in Belarus for obtaining visas and residence for those fleeing Belarus for political reasons or for those who require medical treatment as a result of violence perpetrated against them;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Stresses its earlier call on the EU to ensure that the special tribunal to punish Russian crimes committed in- and against Ukraine must also have jurisdiction to be able to also investigate and eventually prosecute Aliaksandr Lukashenka and his regime;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 a (new) – having regard to the Resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe of 27 April 2023 on the deportations and forcible transfers of Ukrainian children,
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prepare rules and procedures to deal with cases where human rights defenders and other civil society activists are stripped of their citizenship in Belarus, as well as to provide support to those Belarusians residing in the EU whose identity documents are about to expire and who have no means of renewing them, since they cannot return to Belarus;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 a (new) Involvement of the Belarusian regime in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Belarusian regime’s involvement in Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, including the massive provision of ammunition and military hardware to the Russian aggressors, training of Russian troops by Belarusian instructors, the threatening to join the aggression combined with stationing of troops next to Ukraine’s border which binds Ukrainian troops there, and the use of Belarusian territory and infrastructure as a staging ground to launch missile attacks on military and civilian targets in Ukraine; notes that the vast majority of Belarusians disapprove of this multifaceted involvement in Russia’s war of aggression; expresses its support for the Belarusian activists who resist the aggressor within Belarus and the volunteers, in particular the ‘Kalinouski’ and ‘Pahonia’ regiments, who are bravely fighting alongside the Ukrainian army to repel the aggressors;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Belarusian regime’s involvement in Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, including promotion of hate speech, disinformation and propaganda echoing Moscow’s bellicose rhetoric, as well as the massive provision of ammunition and military hardware to the Russian aggressors
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Belarusian regime’s involvement in Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, including the massive provision of ammunition and
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Belarusian regime’s involvement in Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, including the massive provision of ammunition and military hardware to the Russian aggressors and the use of Belarusian territory and airspace as a staging ground to launch missile attacks on military and civilian targets in Ukraine; notes that the vast majority of Belarusians disapprove of this multifaceted involvement in Russia’s war of aggression; expresses its support for the Belarusian volunteers, in particular the ‘Kalinouski’ and ‘Pahonia’ regiments, who are bravely fighting alongside the Ukrainian army to repel the aggressors;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Belarusian regime’s involvement in Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, including the massive provision of ammunition and military hardware to the Russian aggressors and the use of Belarusian territory as a staging ground to launch missile attacks on military and civilian
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Denounces the illegal transfer of more than 2150 children, including orphans, from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to so-called 'recreational camps' in Belarus, where they are subjected to Russification; supports Ukrainian prosecution investigating the alleged role of Belarus in the forced deportations and if the actions of the Lukashenka himself and his regime may also amount to the crime against humanity of ‘deportation or forcible transfer of population’ under the Rome Statute of the ICC; considers Lukashenka as responsible for these war crimes as Putin and Lvova-Belova and therefore calls on the ICC to issue a similar international warrant; calls on the Council to expand the list of individuals targeted by the sanctions to include those involved in forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Belarus;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Considers synergies and coherence between the EU’s Strategic Compass and NATO’s Strategic Concept essential i.e. with regard to their implementation with a view to countering Russia's aggression against Ukraine and countering the complicity of Lukashenka's regime in this conflict; underlines the importance of stepping up EU/NATO cooperation in dealing with all relevant aspects of the involvement of Belarus in Putin's war against Ukraine;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 a (new) – having regard to ILO Decision GB.347/INS/14(Rev.1) of 20 March 2023,
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to take all the actions necessary to enable the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are complicit in the war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide and the crime of aggression committed in Ukraine;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to take all the actions necessary to enable the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are complicit in the war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide and the crime of aggression committed in Ukraine in particular noting the regime's collaboration, responsibility and active involvement in facilitating and executing the abduction and deportation of at least 2150 Ukrainian Children as investigated by the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAU);
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that by enabling Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine the Lukashenka regime has become an accomplice in committed crimes; Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to take all the actions necessary to enable the criminal prosecution, including issuing an international arrest warrant, of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and other of Belarusian officials who are complicit in the war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide and the crime of aggression committed in Ukraine;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to take all the actions necessary to enable the criminal prosecution
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to take all the actions necessary to enable the criminal
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to take all the actions necessary to enable the criminal prosecution
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Underlines the direct participation of Alexandr Lukashenka, his regime and state owned companies in the procedure of forcible transfers of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation and to Belarus; notes that the Belarusian officials’ participation in this criminal and inhumane procedure has been documented; calls in this regard to submit a new referral or to extend the ongoing case against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin on the same issue at the International Criminal Court to Belarusian officials including Alexandr Lukashenka;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on European political parties and foundations to provide all necessary assistance to their Belarusian sister parties and affiliated organisations;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Call for the EU and its Member States to broaden and strengthen the scope of sanctions (‘restrictive measures’) against individuals and legal entities responsible for or complicit in grave human rights violations in Belarus under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Mechanisms (EU Magnitsky Act), including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, prison and penal colony officials, and agents of the infamous KGB and GUBOPiK; insists that Belarusian potash, which is the main source of the regime’s income, should remain on the list of sanctions; urges the EU and its Member States to increase their capacity to assess the real effect of sanctions in order to ensure their full implementation and to thwart any circumvention schemes; condemns those third countries that are helping Russia and Belarus to circumvent the imposed sanctions and asks the Commission and the Member States to consider secondary sanctions against those third countries; calls for Russia and Belarus to be put on the EU’s high-risk third country list on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 b (new) – having regard to report A/HRC/52/68: Belarus in the rune-up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human rights of 17 March 2023,
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Call for the EU and its Member States to broaden and strengthen the scope
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Call for the EU and its Member States to broaden and strengthen the scope of sanctions (‘restrictive measures’) against individuals and legal entities responsible for or complicit in grave human rights violations in Belarus under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Mechanisms (EU Magnitsky Act), including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, prison and penal colony officials, and agents of the infamous KGB and GUBOPiK; insists that Belarusian potash, which is the main
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Call for the EU and its Member States to broaden and strengthen the scope of sanctions (‘restrictive measures’) against individuals and legal entities responsible for or complicit in grave human rights violations in Belarus under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Mechanisms (EU Magnitsky Act), including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, prison and penal colony officials, and agents of the infamous KGB and GUBOPiK; insists that Belarusian potash, which is the main source of the regime’s income, should remain on the list of sanctions; urges the EU and its Member States to increase their capacity to assess the real effect of sanctions in order to ensure their full implementation and to thwart any circumvention schemes; notes with concern the official visit of Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade to Minsk in February 2023, which contradicts EU policy towards Belarus;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls for the EU and its Member States to broaden and strengthen the scope of sanctions (‘restrictive measures’) against individuals and legal entities responsible for or complicit in grave human rights violations in Belarus under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Mechanisms (EU Magnitsky Act), including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, prison and penal colony officials, propagandists and agents of the infamous KGB and
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Call for the EU and its Member
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Notes that the Belarusian regime’s efforts to assist the Russian aggression against Ukraine implies responsibility for the destruction and damage caused to Ukraine; calls therefore on the EU and its Member States to find legal pathways of seizing assets of the Belarusian leadership and related Belarusian entities involved in the Russian war effort to support the reconstruction of Ukraine;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to harmonize sanctions regime against Belarus and Russia in order to reduce possibility of sanction evasion; calls on the EU and its international partners to start legal proceedings against any EU or 3rd country individual or entity that helps Belarus with sanctions evasion;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the EU institutions and member states to strengthen mechanisms to close loopholes in the sanctions while reviewing the effects of sanctions in order to reduce collateral damage for people and entities in the country that are not complicit in the aforementioned crimes;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on member states to refrain from lobbying openly or behind the scenes in favour of softening any of the restrictive measures against Belarus and instead to foster solidarity among member states to find solutions for problems caused by the imposed sanctions;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 b (new) – having regard to Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic on July 27, 1990,
Amendment 20 #
A. whereas almost three years after the so-called elections on 9 August 2020, the Belarusian authorities are
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the Council and the HR/VP to also explore further measures, beyond sanctions, and to develop a coherent and comprehensive long-term approach towards Belarus, closely coordinated with like-minded countries and international organisations;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 b (new) Sovereignty of Belarus and protection of its language and national culture
Amendment 202 #
10. Notes with great concern the rampant economic, political and military
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the rampant economic, political and military integration of Belarus into the Union State with Russia; condemns the
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the rampant economic, political and military integration of Belarus into the Union State with Russia; condemns the announced deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the rampant economic, political and military integration of Belarus into the Union State with Russia; condemns the announced deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons under Russian command on Belarusian territory; calls for the EU and
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the rampant economic, political and military integration of Belarus into the Union State with Russia; condemns the announced deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons under Russian command on Belarusian territory; calls for the EU and the Member States to maintain unity in addressing the multifaceted threats posed by the Lukashenka regime to the EU, in particular the continued and growing state- engineered illegal migration crisis at the borders of Belarus with Poland, Lithuania
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the rampant economic, political and military integration of Belarus into the Union State with Russia; condemns the announced deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons under Russian command on Belarusian territory; calls for the EU and the Member States to work in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure nuclear safety at the Belarusian NPP and to maintain unity in addressing the multifaceted threats posed by the Lukashenka regime to the EU, in particular the continued state-engineered
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the rampant economic, political and military integration moving towards an eventual annexation of Belarus
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas almost three years after the
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes with great concern the
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Strongly condemns the use of migration for political ends by the Belarusian authorities; is concerned about the humanitarian situation along Belarus’ borders with EU Member States; condemns the use of pushbacks by Poland and Lithuania; is deeply concerned that new legislation in Lithuania and legislation in preparation in Latvia legalises pushbacks and does not specify the concrete procedures to be put in place at the borders; calls on these EU Member States to abide by EU law, as upholding basic European norms, international law and respect for the dignity of every human life, especially in the face of challenges, are at the core of the democratic European project we also wish for Belarus;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Notes Belarus's growing economic dependence on Russia and other non- democratic countries, including China; deplores the fact that Belarus is returning to the Soviet-era centrally planned economic model, which will further isolate Belarus from the world market, lead to a lag in innovation and modernisation, and lead to a continuous brain drain, which is contrary to the interests of the Belarusian people, who have shown increasing entrepreneurial skills in recent years;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Denounces the announced deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons under Russian command on Belarusian territory, an irresponsible act of further breach of Russia’s arms control commitments, international law and Belarusian constitution and urges on the EU institutions and its Member States to take all the necessary steps to prevent such a development, including additional sanctions on Russian and Belarusian ruling regimes;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to maintain unity in addressing the multifaceted threats posed by the Lukashenka regime to the EU, in particular the weaponisation of migrants at the borders of Belarus; stresses the need to guarantee the right to asylum while providing humane and dignified reception conditions to migrants and asylum-seekers stranded at the border;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Stresses the need for Council and Commission to be prepared for different scenarios such as (forced) replacement of Lukashenka or the de-facto annexation of Belarus materializing in complete annexation or occupation and to consult with the United Transitional Cabinet regarding these different scenarios;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Condemns the increasing restrictions by the regime on the activities of the democratic parties, independent trade unions, civil society organisations; calls on the EU and its Member States to continue and increase support and cooperation with them;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10b. Urges the Belarusian regime to immediately end the persecution, discrimination, and violence against LGBTI individuals and to ensure their full protection and inclusion in society; supports the efforts of LGBTI organisations in Belarus in advocating for legal reforms that ensure equal rights and protection for all individuals;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10b. Condemns creation of unbearable conditions and restrictions that led to the formal liquidation of opposition democratic parties in Belarus in May, 2023; calls for the Member States parties and international organizations to continue and develop cooperation with them and their support;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas almost three years after the so-called elections on 9 August 2020, the Belarusian authorities are continuing their repression against the Belarusian people; whereas more than 50 000 Belarusians have been illegally arrested and tortured, more than 1 500 persons remain imprisoned on political grounds, many others live under the continuous pressure of intimidation, threats and possible arrest and fabricated charges pressed against them and around 300 000 have left the country for fear of a similar fate;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 c (new) 10c. Considering that small and medium-sized enterprises played an important role in supporting the pro- democracy movement in Belarus during and after the 2020 presidential elections, calls on the Commission and the EU Member States to continue supporting entrepreneurship in Belarus;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 c (new) 10c. Reiterates its condemnation of the decision by the Lukashenka regime to withdraw Belarus from the Aarhus Convention, an international agreement that implements the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 c (new) 10c. Commemorates the memory of the former Archbishop of Grodno, Artemy (Kishchanka) who died on 22 April and who condemned the violence used by Aliaksandr Lukashenka's regime against peaceful protesters in 2020;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 d (new) 10d. Reminds all EU businesses operating in Belarus of its previous call to exercise particular diligence and uphold their responsibility to respect human rights, in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: asks them to refrain from any new investment and to publicly protest to the Belarusian authorities against the continuing repression of workers and citizens in general;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 d (new) 10d. Strongly condemns the persecution of religious communities in Belarus, as well as the persecution of clerics and laity, who in their religious activities refuse to support the position of the regime, including the sentencing of Orthodox priest Siarhei Razanovich, his wife and son to 16 years in prison;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 d (new) 10d. Deplores the lack anti discrimination legislation regarding persons with disabilities in Belarus, as well as the 2021 forced closure of the country’s leading disability rights organisation, the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 e (new) 10e. Expresses solidarity with Belarusians seeking to protect and nurture their national identity, particularly efforts to spread the use of Belarusian language; deplores recent sentencing of art manager Pavel Belavus to 13 years in prison for his activities in promoting Belarusian language and culture; commits to increasing its communication in Belarusian language, notably translation of its reports and resolutions on Belarus and Eastern Partnership policies into Belarusian language and calls upon other EU institutions to follow;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 e (new) 10e. Considers unacceptable the pressure exerted by the Lukashenka regime on the leadership of the Christian churches in order to remove objectionable bishops and priests, as well as the regular arrests of clergy, including the arrest of the Catholic priests Vyacheslav Adamovich, Andrei Kulik, Aliaksandr Shautsou and ordinary members of the Church for preaching in May 2023, the confiscation of churches from Catholics in Minsk and the prohibition of the work of Protestant congregations;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 e (new) 10e. Deplores the visit by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijarto on 13 February 2023 to Belarus in an unmistakable show of support to the regime in Minsk that utterly contradicts the policy of the EU both in relation to Belarus, Russia and the war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 f (new) 10f. Condemns the harassment of religious and national minorities in Belarus, notably the Lithuanian and Polish minorities, as illustrated by the forced closure of Lithuanian and Polish schools, the prohibition and disbandment of Lithuanian and Polish associations on far-fetched grounds, and the destruction of Polish cemeteries, graves and monuments; denounces the detention and sentencing of Union of Poles activist Andrzej Poczobut on political grounds; calls on the Belarusian regime to cease immediately this multifaceted persecution of national minorities, and to uphold their rights, including the right to education in their native languages;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas almost three years after the
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 f (new) 10f. Recognizes Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as legitimate representative of Belarus people, welcomes the creation of the United Transitional Cabinet as the central executive body of the democratic movement, which together with Coordination Council, a unified representative body of Belarusian democratic society, should be treated by the international community as the only representatives of the people of Belarus; welcomes upcoming signing of the Agreement of Cooperation between EP and the Democratic forces of Belarus;
Amendment 231 #
10f. Condemns the Belarusian regime’s acts of transnational repression against Belarusians abroad as well as Russia’s facilitation and active cooperation;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 g (new) 10g. Is of the opinion that EU restrictive measures against the Lukashenka regime in response to developments in Belarus are not adequate to the scale of regime's involvement in Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and the level of repressions and Lukashenka's support to Russia's war of aggression; therefore welcomes sanctions imposed by individual Members States and calls on the Council to adopt a new set of sanctions which will be an adequate response to the scale of Lukashenka's cruelty;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 g (new) 10g. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue and broaden support for the cultural and educational activities of the Belarusian civil society and academic institutions, including those directed to the support of Belarusian language, including independent media;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 c (new) Support for democracy and European aspirations
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 i (new) 10i. Highlights that Belarus shares historical ties and heritage of European culture and identity and based on aspirations by the people of Belarus should remain a part of European political, cultural and economic space;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 j (new) 10j. Warmly acknowledges and supports declarations about the European aspirations of Belarusians made by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the leaders of democratic political parties; welcomes the opening in Brussels, on 1 March 2023, of the official Mission of Democratic Belarus; calls on the EU institutions to develop relations with the Coordination Council, the United Transitional Cabinet and other groupings of representatives of democratic forces, and to further engage with the Mission of Democratic Belarus in Brussels;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy in order to support democratic forces, civil society activists, human rights defenders, independent trade unions and free media both in and outside Belarus, with a view to fostering a democratic transition in this country and to upholding the independence and sovereignty of Belarus; calls for comprehensive capacity-building programs, including trainings on legal expertise for the legislation drafts, digital and personal security, mentoring initiatives, traineeships and other educational opportunities to empower these actors and nurture their potential; calls for improved EU communication with the people in Belarus in order to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media; urges the EU Member States to foster people-to-people contacts between their own populations and the Belarusian people, and to coordinate their actions in order to alleviate the difficulties faced by democratic forces and civil society activists in exile, for example in the process of obtaining residence permits or
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy in order to support democratic forces, civil society activists
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy in order to support democratic forces, civil society activists, independent trade unions and free media both in and outside Belarus; calls for improved EU communication with the people in Belarus in order to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media; urges the EU Member States to coordinate their actions in order to alleviate the difficulties faced by democratic forces and civil society activists in exile, for example in the process of obtaining residence permits or opening bank accounts. Calls, lastly, for channels of communication with the Belarusian authorities to be kept open to address shared challenges, and urges in particular that they work together with EU Member States to reduce the transport of weapons and other forms of collaboration in the war in Ukraine and use their role in the region to promote a diplomatic peace agreement;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas almost three years after the so-called elections on 9 August 2020, the Belarusian authorities are continuing their repression against the Belarusian people; whereas more than 50 000 Belarusians have been illegally arrested and tortured, more than 1 500 persons remain imprisoned on political grounds and are daily exposed to isolation, torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, and around 300 000 have left the country for fear of a similar fate;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy in order to support democratic forces, civil society activists, independent trade unions and free media both in and outside Belarus; calls for improved EU communication with the people in Belarus in order to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media; urges the EU Member States to coordinate their actions in order to alleviate the difficulties, including due to incorrect application of the sanctions regime, faced by democratic forces
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy in order to support democratic forces, civil society activists, independent trade unions and free media both in and outside Belarus; calls for improved EU communication with the people in Belarus in order to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media; urges the EU Member States to coordinate their actions in order to alleviate the difficulties faced by democratic forces and civil society activists in exile, for example in the process of obtaining residence permits
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy coupled with a broad plan for economic support in order to support democratic forces, civil society activists, independent trade unions and free media both in and outside Belarus; calls for improved EU communication with the people in Belarus in order to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media; urges the EU Member States to coordinate their actions in order to alleviate the difficulties faced by democratic forces and civil society activists in exile, for example in the
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy in order to support democratic forces, civil society activists, human rights defenders, independent artists, independent trade unions and free media both in and outside Belarus; calls for improved EU communication with the people in Belarus in order to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media; urges the EU Member States to coordinate their actions in order to alleviate the difficulties faced by democratic forces and civil society activists in exile, for example in the process of obtaining residence permits or opening bank accounts;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy in order to support democratic forces, including opposition political parties, civil society activists, independent trade unions and free media both in and outside Belarus; calls for improved EU communication with the people in Belarus in order to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media; urges the EU Member States to coordinate their actions in order to alleviate the difficulties faced by democratic forces and civil society activists in exile, for example in the process of obtaining residence permits or opening bank accounts;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Supports the preparations for an EU-led international donor conference to assist the democratic forces of Belarus; calls for the EU to engage on an operational level with the representatives of the democratic forces of Belarus in order to conclude work on the adoption of a roadmap aimed at the implementation of the EUR 3 billion economic and investment package already envisaged by the Commission as a way of embracing the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people; calls for political dialogue between the EU and the democratic forces of Belarus in order to achieve a joint vision on said support plan; highlights the need for a substantive public discussion in order to build public support for considerable EU involvement;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Insists on continuation and broadening of support coming from the EU for the cultural and educational activities of the independent Belarusian civil society and academic institutions, including those directed to the support of Belarusian language; calls on the Commission to further support independent news outlets, especially new media such as Nexta, which has not received any EU financial support despite having a broad audience in Belarus; urges EU institutions to continue programs of internships for young Belarusians in order to be prepared for future democratic transitions, as well as legal expertise for the legislation drafts elaborated by Belarusian democratic forces;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Calls upon the Council to review and update its conclusions on Belarus by focusing on pre-emption and containment of security risks posed by the Lukashenka regime, effective EU public policy and engagement with the people of Belarus, including those in exile, structured cooperation with the Belarusian democratic forces and civil society and support for the victims of the Lukashenka regime;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Reiterates its call for a targeted EU assistance programme to help victims of political repression and police violence, monitoring of the situation and trials of individual political prisoners on the ground, easing visa requirements, as well as improving asylum processes, issuing emergency visas, and improving temporary shelter in EU Member States for those seeking refuge from Belarus;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas almost three years after the
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to organise systematic and comprehensive support for the Belarusian political prisoners and members of their families who are in a vulnerable financial situation, as well as to support for political prisoners who have served their sentences, including financial support, assistance in medical and psychological rehabilitation;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Calls on signing of an agreement to formalise and systematise cooperation between the European Parliament and the democratic forces and civil society of Belarus, including the United Transitional Cabinet and the Coordination Council;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prepare rules and procedures to deal with cases where human rights defenders and other civil society activists are stripped of their citizenship in Belarus, as well as to provide support to those Belarusians residing in the EU whose identity documents are expiring and who have no means of renewing them, since they cannot return to Belarus;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Calls for a list to be drawn up of families of those linked to the criminal Lukashenka regime who are enjoying the hospitality of the countries of the European Union and are studying at schools and universities there; calls for their immediate removal from educational establishments and review their entry visas and residency status;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Calls on the Commission, Council, the HR/VP and the Member States to maintain international attention and support for the pro-democracy movement in Belarus, particularly to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her led the United Transitional Cabinet, which has shifted in the wake of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Calls on the EU institutions to continue its support to the independent Belarus academic institutions, including European Humanities University, as well as to cultural, educational and professional training programs;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11c. Encourages the Members States to reinforce the mandate and office of UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus and OHCHR Examination on Belarus to receive and process effectively individual complaints from the citizens of Belarus, as they do not have any other international remedy; Expresses support for the call of 13 February 2023 by international and Belarusian civil society organisations on Member and Observer States of the UN Human Rights Council to establish an independent investigative mechanism to complement and follow-up on the work of the existing OHCHR examination and calls for its work to be sufficiently resourced and funded;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11c. Welcomes the Commission’s approval of the support programme “EU4Belarus: Supporting societal resilience and human capital development”, which aims to support the democratic aspirations in Belarus; considers that such support is essential in order to preserve the changes in Belarusian society that emerged from the peaceful pro-democracy movement during the 2020 presidential elections;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11c. Welcomes the declaration of European choice made by Belarusian democratic leaders; considers it necessary to develop a common strategy for preserving the independence of Belarus, including international guarantees for it, and for Belarus transition to democracy with the participation of the EU and international institutions OSCE, CoE, G7;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 d (new) 11d. Welcomes the March 2023 ILO decision GB.347/INS/14(Rev.1)/Decision “concerning the options for measures under article 33 of the ILO Constitution, as well as other measures, to secure compliance by the Government of Belarus with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry in respect of Conventions Nos 87 and 98”; calls on all ILO Member States to support the resolution that will form the basis of the decision to be taken at the 111th International Labour Conference in June 2023;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas almost three years after the so-called elections on 9 August 2020, the
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 d (new) 11d. Calls on the international community, the European Commission, EU Member States and institutions such as ICRC, UNICEF to organise systematic and comprehensive support for Belarusian political prisoners and their families who are in a precarious financial situation, as well as support for political prisoners who have served their sentences, including financial support and assistance with medical and psychological rehabilitation;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 d (new) 11d. Insists that EU4Belarus funds be strategically channelled into activities to support the European aspirations of the people of Belarus;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 e (new) 11e. Insists that a significant proportion of EU financial support should continue to be channelled through flexible and impartial EU mechanisms, such as the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), which would ensure good targeting and accountability for civil society, independent media and pro- democracy groups;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 e (new) 11e. Urges the International Olympic Committee and other international sports federations not to allow athletes from Belarus and the Russian Federation, many of whom support or even participate in Russia's unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 e (new) 11e. Calls on the international community to ensure that no invitation to attend meetings, symposia or seminars, sport or cultural events is extended to the representatives of Lukashenka regime and those individual and institutions which support its oppressive policy;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 f (new) 11f. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to support Belarus’ independent media, which was decimated after 2020 Presidential elections and had to relocate and rebuild its activities; urges support for digitalisation and creation of spaces for pro-democracy civic and political participation of Belarusians; welcomes the opening of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty office in Lithuanian working to provide credible media service for Russian-speakers in Belarus;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 g (new) 11g. Highlights the importance of continuously strengthening links and cooperation between Belarus and the European youth and academic community; welcomes the EU's allocation of financial resources to provide educational opportunities for Belarusian students and professionals, and expects that such support will be continued, by ensuring that Belarusians are substantially included in EU programmes such as Erasmus+ and the Horizon Europe, and by supporting a number of initiatives in the Member States, such as the Belarusian university in exile: the European University for Humanities in Vilnius;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 h (new) 11h. Expresses its concern about the transparency, freedom and fairness of the 2024 parliamentary and local elections in Belarus, in particular in the light of new legal restrictions on political parties and statements by the Central Electoral Commission questioning the importance of international election observation and the role of the OSCE ODIHR;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 i (new) 11i. Condemns the new law on political parties adopted in February 2023, which is clearly aimed at hindering and deterring the activities of democratic forces by imposing additional restrictions and obligations to register with the Ministry of Justice; takes the view that this law deliberately attempts to prevent democratic parties from taking part in the 2024 parliamentary elections;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 j (new) 11j. Calls upon the leadership of the Belarusian democratic forces to maintain unity and continue to employ innovative methods to engage the people of Belarus, particularly in Belarus, to maintain their trust and faith in democratic change, and to mobilize them in the upcoming elections;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on the situation in Belarus compares repression to atrocities against humanity; whereas, according to S.Tshihanouskaya 18,000 pieces of sufficient evidence were collected to launch a preliminary investigation against Lukashenka’s regime, and an international arrest warrant for Alexandr Lukashenka and his accomplices should be issued in order to seek criminal accountability for their atrocities;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 k (new) 11k. Calls on the national political parties of the Member States and European political parties to further develop their cooperation and support for democratic political parties in Belarus;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the International Labour Organisation, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces, International Red Cross, International Olympic Committee, UEFA, FIFA, IIHF, ITF, ATP, WTA and the de facto authorities of the Republic of Belarus.
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas repression expanded to all segments of society - civil society organizations, human rights defenders, charitable organisations, environmental associations, independent trade unions, lawyers of political prisoners, private businesses and independent media - making any form of public dissent liable;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas of January 2021, there were at least 1,300 children with disabilities held in nine institutions; whereas these institutions had problems with proper diagnostics, education, and social reintegration as well as public accountability and transparency;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 c (new) – having regard to Belavezha Accords ratified on December 10 1991 by the Supreme Council of Belarus which proclaimed the Soviet Union had ceased to exist,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas released political prisoners face extreme discrimination with the regime prohibiting them free movement, as well as access to the labour market, to their bank accounts and other financial assets;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas around 1 000 civil organisations were deregistered and closed and over 300 media organisations labelled as extremists; whereas most of civil society organisations and independent media, especially their leaders, were forced to flee Belarus and to relaunch their activities in exile, primarily in Lithuania and Poland; whereas over 30 journalists and media workers remain imprisoned on bogus criminal charges;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A c (new) Ac. whereas four major independent trade unions and the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions were shut down and at least 14 of their leaders and members were imprisoned;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A d (new) Ad. whereas almost 100 Belarusian attorneys were stripped of their licenses;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas international community, including the EU and its Member States did not recognise the results of the presidential election and do not recognise Aliaksandr Lukashenka as president of Belarus;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the EU and its Member States did not recognise the results of the fraudulent presidential election and do not recognise Aliaksandr Lukashenka as president of Belarus;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the Belarusian authorities failed to conduct effective investigations into the widespread allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of peaceful protesters by law enforcement officers in August 2020 following the manipulated presidential vote;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Lukashenka regime is dangerously undermining the sovereignty of Belarus by
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Lukashenka regime is dangerously undermining the sovereignty of Belarus by deepening Belarus’ integration into the Union State with Russia; whereas the regime continues its policy of russification of Belarus and suppression of Belarus language and national identity;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Lukashenka regime is dangerously undermining the sovereignty of Belarus by deepening Belarus’ integration into the Union State with Russia; whereas Lukashenka has suggested a Union State pact between Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan to share nuclear weapons;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 d (new) – having regard to The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus on March 15, 1994,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Lukashenka regime is dangerously undermining the sovereignty of Belarus by
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Lukashenka regime is dangerously undermining the sovereignty of Belarus by deepening Belarus’ integration into the Union State with Russia against the clear will of the majority of Belarusians;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Lukashenka regime is dangerously undermining the sovereignty of Belarus by deepening Belarus’ integration into the Union State with Russia, risking (partial) de facto governance from Moscow;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to marginalise national and religious minorities, as well as to prosecute political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations, and lawyers representing political prisoners;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the Lukashenka regime is further destructing manifestation of national identity of Belarusians and is pursuing the aggressive policy of russification and destruction of Belarusian culture;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas the Belarus Orthodox church in many cases serves the interests of the regime - it has removed senior bishops and lower clergy seen as disloyal to the regime, and given the regime lists of priests who have supported protests against the falsified presidential elections of 2020; whereas the leadership of the Belarusian Orthodox Church supports Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas religious and ethnic minorities in Belarus, in particular the Lithuanian and Polish minorities, face harassment and restrictions on their rights, such as the right to learn in their own language;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 – having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities actively support and have become accomplices in Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine; whereas the complicity of Lukashenka's regime in Putin's war against Ukraine has emphatically been denounced and targeted by the EU and NATO; whereas the involvement of Belarus in this war has given rise to a common approach of both organisations based on similar or even joint assessments, and requires in itself strengthening EU/NATO cooperation;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities actively support and have become accomplices in Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine; whereas majority of Belarusians are against their country’s participation in this war and demonstrate it by organizing peaceful protests that result in arrests and police misconduct, sabotaging transportation of Russian military equipment and joining or supporting Belarusian regiments fighting alongside Ukrainian armed forces;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities actively support and have become
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Belarusian authorities actively support and have become
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the regime is eliminating the last remainders of political pluralism in the country, such as with the upcoming so-called re-registration of political parties that is likely to lead to the elimination of all parties but those who support the regime; whereas the new “constitution” from February 2022 creates a new undemocratic institution that only serves the purpose to secure the regimes grip to power and strips the parliament of the last semblance of voice over the political process;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas Belarus is the only country in Europe to use capital punishment; whereas recent amendments to the Criminal Code introduced the death penalty for terrorist attacks not resulting in death, attempting terrorist attack or an assassination of a foreign official and treason committed by a state official or a serviceman, with the aim to deter any resistance to the involvement of Belarus into Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas scores of Belarusian citizens have been prosecuted for expressing support to Ukraine, criticising the government for supporting Russia’s aggression or reporting on the movements of Russian troops and military equipment within Belarus;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas on 27 April 2023, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe unanimously denounced the deportation and ‘Russification’ of Ukrainian children as an act of genocide, in which the Belarusian regime is complicit;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas at least 2150 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Belarus with the Dubrava camp owned by Belaruskali served as a primary destination;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 a (new) – having regard the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of 25 June 1993,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) Db. whereas the Lukashenka regime is actively engaged in Russian efforts to illegally transfer and re-educate Ukrainian children; whereas around 2 000 Ukrainian children, mainly from the territories temporarily occupied by Russia, have been sent to camps and sanatoriums in Belarus, including the Dubrava camp owned by Belarus’s main potash producer Belaruskali;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) Db. whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to organise smuggling of people and illegal border crossings by undocumented migrants as tool of a hybrid war against the EU, which preceded and still accompany the escalation of war in Ukraine which caused a wave of refugees who seek shelter on the EU’s territory;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the Lukashenka regime poses a direct threat to the EU and its citizens by continuing to instrumentalise migration, engaging in aggressive war rhetoric since August 2020, promoting an increased presence of Russian military in the country through permanent joint manoeuvres, accepting the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on its territory and refusing to implement nuclear safety requirements at the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Astravyets;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the Lukashenka regime may pose
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the Lukashenka regime poses a direct threat to the EU and its citizens by
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the Lukashenka regime poses a direct threat to the EU and its citizens by
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the Lukashenka regime poses a direct threat to the EU and its citizens
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas a political prisoner and an activist of European Belarus civil campaign Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk had to renounce her Belarusian citizenship in protest against the torturous conditions she faces while being incarcerated; whereas Sharenda-Panasiuk filed a formal application to give up her Belarusian citizenship and was escorted to undergo a psychiatric examination, her location has been unknown since;
Amendment 68 #
Ea. whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to force migrants from third countries across its borders with Poland and Lithuania; whereas 43 people have died on the Polish side of the Belarus- Poland border2a, whereas the European Court of Justice ruled in June 2022 that Lithuanian legislation allowing mass detention and preventing asylum requests for irregular arrivals is a violation of EU law; _________________ 2a European Council of Refugees and Exiles - Eastern Borders: Lithuania Legalised Pushbacks Despite Critique, Polish Authorities Blamed for Ongoing Deaths Along its Borders (...) - 28 April 2023
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 a (new) – having regard to The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas in recent months the Belarusian authorities have dramatically increased the pressure and cruel mistreatment of political prisoners; whereas the lives of a number of political prisoners are in imminent danger;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E c (new) Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya have a well-established and internationally recognised structure, including the recent formation of the United Transitional Cabinet and the opening of the Mission of
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya have a well-established and internationally recognised structure, including the recent formation of the United Transitional Cabinet and the
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya have a well-established and internationally
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya have a well-established and internationally recognised structure, including the recent formation of the United Transitional Cabinet, the renewed Coordination Council and the opening of the Mission of Democratic Belarus in Brussels;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya have a well-established and internationally recognised structure, including the Coordination Council, the recent formation of the United Transitional
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya have a well-established
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas the unacceptable persecution of the Polish and other minorities has intensified, including recent decisions of the Belarusian authorities aimed at eliminating education in the Polish and Lithuanian languages; whereas the appeal of Andrzej Poczobut, an active member of the Polish minority in Belarus and journalist, was rejected by the Supreme Court of Belarus and his 8-year prison sentence was left unchanged;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 b (new) – having regard the Report on the serious threat to the OSCE human dimension in Belarus since 5 November 2020,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the other leaders of democratic political parties have declared their European aspirations for the new Belarus;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the leaders of democratic political parties have publicly declared their support for the European choice of new Belarus;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the leaders of democratic political parties have publicly declared the European aspirations of Belarusians;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas Lukashenka continues his policy of russification of Belarus, with strategic line towards marginalization and destruction of manifestations of national identity of Belarusians, including language and culture, by arbitrary arrests, detentions, and especially brutal treatment of cultural figures - writers, artists, musicians, and in general people who speak Belarusian on public, banning of national and historical symbols of Belarus such as white-red-white flag and Pahonia, closure of publishing houses, private schools and Belarusian language courses;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F c (new) Fc. whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to discriminate against national and religious minorities by persecutions of their leaders including Andrzej Poczobut, closure of educational institutions for Polish and Lithuanian minorities eliminating education in their national languages and destruction of Polish memorial cemeteries to violate the freedom of religion or belief and to repress religious communities and individuals; whereas numerous Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Greek Catholic priests and pastors have been subjected to various forms of persecution, ranging from fines to lengthy imprisonment;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F d (new) Fd. whereas the former Archbishop of Grodno, Artemy (Kishchanka), who was the only hierarch of the Moscow- subordinate Belarusian Orthodox Church - the Belarusian Exarchate - to condemn the violence used by Aliaksandr Lukashenka's regime against peaceful protesters in 2020, died on 22 April, on Orthodox Easter Saturday; whereas the attempts of Metropolitan Benjamin to pacify Archbishop Artemy were not successful, he was "sent" into retirement with the diplomatic wording "for health reasons"; whereas after the so-called retirement, he was subjected to harassment, which affected his state of health;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F e (new) Fe. whereas, following the regime's denunciation of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Belarusians are left with practically no means of international protection: neither the Human Rights Council nor the European Court of Human Rights consider the complaints of Belarusians;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas in response to the ongoing repression, the EU and its Member States have adopted a number of restrictive measures against the Lukashenka regime, including sanctions against 195 individuals and 34 entities directly involved into human rights violations and providing support to the regime, and allocated over EUR 100 million to support the people of Belarus and their democratic aspirations;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas in January 2022 amendments to the Belarusian criminal code entered into force, reintroducing criminal liability for participation in activities of unregistered organisations; whereas currently no human rights organisations are legally operating in the country; whereas in May 2022, after new amendments to the criminal code entered into force, the authorities expanded the application of capital punishment to attempted acts of terrorism, a charge previously used in trials of political activists; whereas in July 2022, Lukashenka signed into law the legislation which allows investigations and trials in absentia under 48 articles of the Criminal Code;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas the Lukashenka regimes continues to suppress all fundamental human rights, including freedom of religion and belief; whereas according to the Coordination Council, in 2022 alone 8 Roman Catholic, 3 Greek Catholic, 6 Orthodox priests and 7 Protestant pastors faced various forms of pressure from the illegitimate regime, from fines to the long terms of imprisonment, including Siarhei Rezanovich who was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment in a colony under a strict regime; where the political prisoners are systematically denied access to the religious literature or visits of priests;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 b (new) – having regard to The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances,
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas as a result of the Western sanctions Belarus’ GDP shrank by 4,7 percent in 2022 or twice less than expected;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Gb. whereas in October 2022, Belarus withdrew from the First Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as of 8 February 2023, thereby blocking the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s mandate to receive and review human rights complaints from individuals in Belarus, one of the last avenues of redress for persecuted Belarusians; whereas this decision entered into force on 8 February 2023;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Gb. whereas the Lukashenka regime is curbing the effect of Western sanctions by using Russia provided assistance, which includes transiting Belarusian goods via Russian transport and port infrastructure, preferential access to Russian market and postponement of debt payments to Russia, as well as by circumventing the sanctions;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Gb. whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to severely restrict the freedom of association; whereas, in December 2022 it submitted a bill to the National Assembly to amend the Law on Political Parties, which may ultimately lead to the de facto banning of any political party in opposition to the regime;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) Gc. whereas the Lukashenka regime is restoring the Soviet-era centrally planned economic model, particularly regulation of retail prices, maintaining industrial production of state owned companies at the high level even if there is no demand and repressions against private businesses, including banning foreign investors from selling their stakes in companies in Belarus and imposing regulations allowing confiscation of private property;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) Gc. whereas in January 2023, the Belarusian regime enacted a law that will strip citizenship from those in exile it accuses of so-called “extremist-related” crimes – a list that now includes more than 2,000 individuals;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G d (new) Gd. whereas EU imports from Belarus in 2022 reduced twice if compared to previous years, from EUR 6,54 billion in 2021 to EUR 3,19 billion; whereas Belarus’ exports to Russia increased by 40 percent from USD 16,3 billion in 2021 to USD 23 billion in 2022; whereas Belarus’ exports to China have almost doubled in 2022;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G d (new) Gd. whereas attacks on some ethnic minorities, including Poles and Lithuanians, have escalated; whereas the Belarusian authorities also targets schools and publishing houses teaching or publishing in Belarusian, despite its status as an official language, regarding it as a language of the political opposition;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G e (new) Ge. whereas LGBTI individuals in Belarus face further systemic discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression and sex characteristics; whereas on 29 December, the Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of Belarus announced that Belarus might introduce an LGBTI ‘propaganda’ legislation similar to that in Russia;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G e (new) Ge. whereas as a result of EU support hundreds of Belarusians are currently receiving scholarships, many more are taking part in online trainings to strengthen their professional skills and will be engaged in professional exchanges;
source: 746.739
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History
(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)
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