(Adnkronos) – With a resolution adopted with 458 votes in favour, 18 against and 84 abstentions, MEPs meeting in plenary called for support for the EU’s commitment to Belarus, firmly condemning the repression carried out by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko and expressing solidarity with the opponents of his regime. The text was voted by all Italian MEPs present in the chamber with the exception of the Five Star Movement (The Left) delegation, which abstained.
The European Parliament reiterates its non-recognition of Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus and reaffirms its support for the Belarusian democratic forces led by Svetlana Tikhanoskaya, present today in the chamber with her husband Sergey Tikhanovsky, recently released from Belarusian prisons. MEPs urge the EU to “ensure political, financial and security support for the opposition and to cooperate with other countries to adhere to the non-recognition policy”, and condemn the use of political prisoners as leverage in negotiations with the West, highlighting how each time some are released, others are subsequently detained. The resolution calls for “urgent measures to counter transnational repression by the Belarusian regime, including the misuse of Interpol and protection for Belarusians in exile”, and continued attention from EU states.
For MEPs, the EU and international organizations should formalize the representation of Belarusian democratic forces in international forums such as the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and NATO. The request also includes free and fair elections, under international observation, as well as forms of support for Belarusian civil society, “to independent media, students, and professionals in exile through visas, scholarships, grants, and protection measures.” The resolution condemns the restriction of internet access, the arrest of journalists, and attacks against independent media, which should receive “systematic and multi-year assistance, including funding.”
Finally, MEPs “strongly condemn the involvement of the Lukashenko regime in Russia’s war against Ukraine” and express their concern “about the growing Russian military presence in Belarus, warning that the deployment of systems with nuclear capabilities undermines European security.” The European Parliament urges the EU to strengthen sanctions against those responsible for repression, complicity in the war, and sanction evasion, calls for thorough investigations and the dismantling of Belarusian and Russian spy networks within the EU and candidate countries, and emphasizes the need to impose restrictions on Russian and Belarusian diplomats in the Schengen area.
