Belarus poses “direct military threat in the region,” OSCE PA says

July 8, Pozirk. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has adopted a resolution on Belarus describing it as a “direct military threat in the region” and calling for measures against “transnational repression” and for the protection of Belarusians abroad.

Under the Łukašenka regime, Belarus no longer acts as a factor for stability in the region but rather constitutes a source of threats to regional security in the OSCE area, the resolution says. 

The Łukašenka regime continues to use hybrid instruments of pressure against OSCE participating States, including the forced landing of a Ryanair civilian aircraft in May 2021, the “artificially orchestrated migration crisis” on the borders with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, the launch of aerial objects violating the airspace of OSCE participating states, as well as activities related to cyberattacks and other forms of destabilization, the Assembly says. 

It notes the role the Łukašenka regime plays in Russia’s war against Ukraine, in particular by providing Belarusian territory and infrastructure, hosting Russian troops and military facilities, including elements of military infrastructure, increasing the production and supply of military equipment, and facilitating the circumvention of sanctions, including through the provision of dual-use goods.

The Assembly also mentions the role of the regime in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. 

The resolution welcomes the release of a number of political prisoners and the efforts of the international community, including the United States, to secure their release, but notes that arrests and criminal persecution on political grounds in Belarus continue, which indicates a lack of systemic change and could be described as “hostage rotation.” 

The Assembly notes the continuation of transnational repression by the Łukašenka regime, including persecution, intimidation and pressure on Belarusians abroad, as well as the misuse of international mechanisms and warns that the regime’s “innovative approaches” totransnational repression serve as a powerful model for Russia and “other authoritarian states.”

According to the Assembly, more than one million Belarusians have obtained a first residence permit in the European Union since 2020 and at least 600,000 people have been forced to leave the country as a result ofrepression and should therefore be treated not as ordinary migrants but as a group requiring specific “legal and humanitarian solutions.” 

The Assembly calls for maintaining and, “where necessary,” strengthening sanctions against the Łukašenka regime until “real and verifiable changes are achieved, including the cessation of repression and of involvement in the aggression against Ukraine.” 

The resolution calls for “specific legal and administrative solutions” for Belarusians in exile” to obtain identity documents and legal status and enjoy their fundamental rights.

The urges participating states to support increased cooperation with Belarusian pro-democracy forces, including the Coordination Council, the United Transitional Cabinet, and the Office of Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja.

The resolution calls for the full implementation of recommendations set forth in the OSCE Moscow Mechanismreports in recent years. 

Minsk is also mentioned in The Hague Declaration adopted at the end of the 33rd Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. It calls on participating states to intensify economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on Russia, Belarus, and other states supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, with a view to“deepening the isolation of the aggressor state and counteracting the circumvention of sanctions.”

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OSCE PA democracy committee approves draft resolution on human rights in Belarus

July 7, Pozirk. Today's meeting of the Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA) has approved a draft resolution on Belarus. Björn Söder, head of …

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