OSCE envoys call on Belarus to cease support of Russia’s war

September 2, BPN. A number of envoys to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have called on the Belarusian authorities not to support Russia’s war in Ukraine and to implement the Moscow Mechanism report’s recommendations.

The joint statement was delivered to the OSCE by Canadian Ambassador Jocelyn Kinnear, on behalf of Albania, Canada, Iceland, Moldova, Norway, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The statement notes that the 2020 Moscow Mechanism report and the probe by the UN’s special rapporteur “have found compelling evidence of a campaign of severe repression across all parts of Belarusian society which took place before, during and after the August 2020 presidential election.” The report had 65 recommendations to the Belarusian authorities, including a new election, cessation of violence and release of all those illegally arrested.

Kinnear stressed that international organizations’ recommendations have been ignored by the Belarusian regime. Two years on from the election, “civil society has been decimated and independent media quashed.”

“Belarusian people have faced arbitrary arrest and detention – with over 1,300 political prisoners now detained, steadily growing in number since 2020. There are credible reports that some detainees have been subjected to torture. The regime has pursued politically motivated, unfair trials, has extended the use of the death penalty to include ‘attempted’ acts of terrorism, has prevented Belarusians from leaving the country, has undertaken trials in absentia, and failed to meet international standards when conducting a constitutional referendum,” the statement reads.

It is also emphasized that the Belarusian regime contributes to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and repressions have been unleashed against the Belarusians opposing the war.

The statement urges the Belarusian authorities to release all political prisoners, and expresses solidarity with the Belarusian people. “We will continue to hold the Łukašenka regime to account for their human rights violations and continued support to Russia’s illegal war. This includes through targeted sanctions packages and support for accountability measures,” the ambassadors noted.