BETA


2023/2573(RSP) Resolution on further repression against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2

Events

2023/03/15
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2023/03/15
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 557 votes to 25, with 40 abstentions, a resolution on further repression against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR groups and Members.

Ever since peaceful protests broke out after the massively falsified presidential election of 9 August 2020, the Lukashenka regime has been continuing its acts of repression against the people of Belarus, with civil society representatives, human rights defenders, journalists, opposition activists and many others being harassed, persecuted, arrested, tortured and convicted for expressing opposition to the regime, to the systematic human rights violations or to the regime’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

As of March 2023, there were more than 1 450 people on the list the Viasna Human Rights Centre keeps of Belarusian political prisoners, including the Sakharov Prize and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist and a member of the Union of Poles in Belarus, was arrested on 18 March 2021, and later sentenced to three years in prison on charges of ‘publicly insulting the President of Belarus’ and ‘inciting ethnic hatred’. The charges against Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski are widely considered to be politically motivated and aimed at silencing independent voices and suppressing freedom of expression and association.

Moreover, the Lukashenka regime has taken increasingly repressive measures against the national minorities in Belarus, in particular the Polish and Lithuanian minorities, including the closure of schools teaching in the national minority languages, as well as measures against the organisations representing these minorities, such as the Union of Poles in Belarus.

Members reiterated their solidarity with the people of Belarus who continue to stand up for a sovereign, free and democratic Belarus, risking their freedom and their lives. They demand an immediate end to the repression by state authorities against the people of Belarus, the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, arrested or sentenced on politically motivated grounds, and for all charges against them to be dropped, as well as for their full rehabilitation and financial compensation for damages incurred due to their illegitimate detention.

Parliament denounced the detention and sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut and the sentencing of Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Zmitser Salauyou and Uladzimir Labkovich, as they highlight the regime’s efforts to suppress all civic engagement for the defence of human rights and all independent journalistic work in the country. The resolution called for their immediate and unconditional release , as well as their full rehabilitation and compensation.

Parliament called on the Belarusian authorities to:

- respect the human rights obligations of all Belarusian citizens, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association;

- immediately commute all death sentences and establish an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, as the first step towards its full and permanent abolition;

- end discrimination against women and vulnerable groups, including persons belonging to minorities, persons with disabilities and LGBTQI persons.

As for the EU and Member States, Parliament called for:

- strengthened EU sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for the repression in Belarus;

- enhanced capacity-building support to Belarus’s civil society, free media, independent trade unions, and prodemocracy activists both in Belarus and in exile;

- support and protection to human rights defenders and civil society in Belarus who are facing a severe crackdown, including by issuing emergency visas to leave Belarus if needed.

The Commission is called on to establish a task force that will open a policy dialogue with the representatives of democratic Belarus in order to work on a comprehensive multisectoral agreement that will be the foundation of cooperation with a democratic Belarus, once the current regime is no longer in power. This should be coupled with a financial and administrative resource plan, which should be implemented in order to carry out and finance the necessary reforms in the country once this is possible.

Lastly, Members expressed serious concerns about the nuclear safety situation at the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant and Belarus’s plans to further expand its nuclear capacities.

Documents
2023/03/08
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/08
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/08
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/08
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/08
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/08
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/02/16
   EP - Debate in Parliament

Documents

Activities

Votes

Les nouvelles répressions à l’encontre du peuple biélorusse, en particulier les cas d’Andrzej Poczobut et d’Ales Bialiatski - The further repressions against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski - Die fortgesetzten Repressionen gegen die Bevölkerung von Belarus, insbesondere die Fälle von Andrzej Poczobut und Ales Bjaljazki - RC-B9-0164/2023 - Après le § 26 - Am 2 #

2023/03/15 Outcome: +: 567, 0: 36, -: 24
DE IT ES PL FR RO NL SE BE AT PT DK CZ EL BG SK FI IE HR LT SI LV EE LU MT CY HU
Total
85
64
53
48
72
31
27
21
20
16
20
14
21
16
12
14
11
13
12
9
8
7
6
6
4
4
13
icon: PPE PPE
157

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Cyprus PPE

2

Hungary PPE

Abstain (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
127

Belgium S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Finland S&D

1

Lithuania S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

1

Hungary S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
92

Poland Renew

1
3

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Greece Renew

1

Bulgaria Renew

For (1)

1

Finland Renew

3

Ireland Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Estonia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Hungary Renew

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
69

Italy Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Romania Verts/ALE

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
61

Germany ECR

1

Romania ECR

1

Greece ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Croatia ECR

1

Lithuania ECR

1

Latvia ECR

For (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
35

Germany The Left

Abstain (1)

3

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Portugal The Left

4

Denmark The Left

1

Czechia The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Ireland The Left

Abstain (2)

4

Cyprus The Left

Abstain (1)

1
icon: ID ID
54

Belgium ID

For (1)

3
3

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Czechia ID

Abstain (2)

2

Finland ID

1

Estonia ID

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
32

Germany NI

2
1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Croatia NI

2

RC-B9-0164/2023 - Après le considérant W - Am 1 #

2023/03/15 Outcome: +: 561, 0: 37, -: 21
DE IT ES PL FR RO NL SE BE AT PT EL DK CZ BG SK FI IE HR LT LV SI EE LU MT CY HU
Total
85
64
52
44
72
30
26
21
20
16
20
16
14
21
13
14
11
13
12
8
7
7
6
6
4
4
13
icon: PPE PPE
156

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

3

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Cyprus PPE

2

Hungary PPE

Abstain (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
127

Belgium S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Finland S&D

1

Lithuania S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

1

Hungary S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
93

Poland Renew

1
3

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Greece Renew

1

Bulgaria Renew

For (1)

1

Finland Renew

3

Ireland Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Estonia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Hungary Renew

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
68

Italy Verts/ALE

3

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Romania Verts/ALE

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
55

Germany ECR

1

Romania ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

3

Greece ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Croatia ECR

1

Latvia ECR

For (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
35

Germany The Left

Abstain (1)

3

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Portugal The Left

4

Denmark The Left

1

Czechia The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Ireland The Left

Abstain (2)

4

Cyprus The Left

Abstain (1)

1
icon: ID ID
53
3

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Czechia ID

Abstain (2)

2

Finland ID

1

Estonia ID

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
32

Germany NI

Abstain (1)

2
1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

2

Croatia NI

2

RC-B9-0164/2023 - Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) #

2023/03/15 Outcome: +: 557, 0: 40, -: 25
DE IT FR ES PL RO NL SE BE CZ PT DK BG AT FI EL IE HR SK LT SI LV EE LU MT CY HU
Total
84
64
72
52
46
30
27
21
20
21
20
14
13
16
11
14
13
12
14
9
8
8
6
6
4
4
13
icon: PPE PPE
154

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Cyprus PPE

2

Hungary PPE

Abstain (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
126

Belgium S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Finland S&D

1

Slovakia S&D

3

Lithuania S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

1

Hungary S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
93

Poland Renew

1
3

Bulgaria Renew

For (1)

1

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Finland Renew

3

Greece Renew

1

Ireland Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Estonia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Hungary Renew

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
69

Italy Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Romania Verts/ALE

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
58

Germany ECR

1

Romania ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Croatia ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Lithuania ECR

1

Latvia ECR

For (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
35

Germany The Left

3

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Czechia The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Portugal The Left

4

Denmark The Left

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Ireland The Left

Abstain (2)

4

Cyprus The Left

Abstain (1)

1
icon: ID ID
54

Czechia ID

Abstain (2)

2

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Finland ID

1

Estonia ID

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
33

Germany NI

2
1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Greece NI

2

Croatia NI

2

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Latvia NI

Against (1)

1

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/6
date
2023-03-15T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0075_EN.html title: T9-0075/2023
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
body
EP
events/1
date
2023-03-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0075_EN.html title: T9-0075/2023
events/1
date
2023-03-15T00:00:00
type
Results of vote in Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=59638&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
events/2
date
2023-03-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0075_EN.html title: T9-0075/2023
events/2/summary
  • The European Parliament adopted by 557 votes to 25, with 40 abstentions, a resolution on further repression against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski.
  • The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR groups and Members.
  • Ever since peaceful protests broke out after the massively falsified presidential election of 9 August 2020, the Lukashenka regime has been continuing its acts of repression against the people of Belarus, with civil society representatives, human rights defenders, journalists, opposition activists and many others being harassed, persecuted, arrested, tortured and convicted for expressing opposition to the regime, to the systematic human rights violations or to the regime’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
  • As of March 2023, there were more than 1 450 people on the list the Viasna Human Rights Centre keeps of Belarusian political prisoners, including the Sakharov Prize and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist and a member of the Union of Poles in Belarus, was arrested on 18 March 2021, and later sentenced to three years in prison on charges of ‘publicly insulting the President of Belarus’ and ‘inciting ethnic hatred’. The charges against Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski are widely considered to be politically motivated and aimed at silencing independent voices and suppressing freedom of expression and association.
  • Moreover, the Lukashenka regime has taken increasingly repressive measures against the national minorities in Belarus, in particular the Polish and Lithuanian minorities, including the closure of schools teaching in the national minority languages, as well as measures against the organisations representing these minorities, such as the Union of Poles in Belarus.
  • Members reiterated their solidarity with the people of Belarus who continue to stand up for a sovereign, free and democratic Belarus, risking their freedom and their lives. They demand an immediate end to the repression by state authorities against the people of Belarus, the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, arrested or sentenced on politically motivated grounds, and for all charges against them to be dropped, as well as for their full rehabilitation and financial compensation for damages incurred due to their illegitimate detention.
  • Parliament denounced the detention and sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut and the sentencing of Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Zmitser Salauyou and Uladzimir Labkovich, as they highlight the regime’s efforts to suppress all civic engagement for the defence of human rights and all independent journalistic work in the country. The resolution called for their immediate and unconditional release , as well as their full rehabilitation and compensation.
  • Parliament called on the Belarusian authorities to:
  • - respect the human rights obligations of all Belarusian citizens, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association;
  • - immediately commute all death sentences and establish an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, as the first step towards its full and permanent abolition;
  • - end discrimination against women and vulnerable groups, including persons belonging to minorities, persons with disabilities and LGBTQI persons.
  • As for the EU and Member States, Parliament called for:
  • - strengthened EU sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for the repression in Belarus;
  • - enhanced capacity-building support to Belarus’s civil society, free media, independent trade unions, and prodemocracy activists both in Belarus and in exile;
  • - support and protection to human rights defenders and civil society in Belarus who are facing a severe crackdown, including by issuing emergency visas to leave Belarus if needed.
  • The Commission is called on to establish a task force that will open a policy dialogue with the representatives of democratic Belarus in order to work on a comprehensive multisectoral agreement that will be the foundation of cooperation with a democratic Belarus, once the current regime is no longer in power. This should be coupled with a financial and administrative resource plan, which should be implemented in order to carry out and finance the necessary reforms in the country once this is possible.
  • Lastly, Members expressed serious concerns about the nuclear safety situation at the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant and Belarus’s plans to further expand its nuclear capacities.
docs/6
date
2023-03-15T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0075_EN.html title: T9-0075/2023
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
body
EP
events/1
date
2023-03-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0075_EN.html title: T9-0075/2023
forecasts
  • date: 2023-03-15T00:00:00 title: Vote in plenary scheduled
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting plenary debate/vote
New
Procedure completed
procedure/title
Old
The further repressions against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski
New
Resolution on further repression against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski
docs
  • date: 2023-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0163_EN.html title: B9-0163/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0164_EN.html title: B9-0164/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0165_EN.html title: B9-0165/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0166_EN.html title: B9-0166/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0167_EN.html title: B9-0167/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0168_EN.html title: B9-0168/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
forecasts/0/date
Old
2023-03-14T00:00:00
New
2023-03-15T00:00:00
events
  • date: 2023-02-16T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-9-2023-02-16-TOC_EN.html title: Debate in Parliament
forecasts/0
date
2023-03-14T00:00:00
title
Vote in plenary scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2023-02-14T00:00:00
title
Debate scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2023-02-14T00:00:00
title
Debate scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2023-02-15T00:00:00
title
Debate in plenary scheduled