MEPs’ statement condemns trial of Belarusian opposition leaders

January 23, BPN. The leader of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Belarus Juozas Olekas and the parliament’s rapporteur on Belarus Petras Auštrevičius condemned “in the strongest terms” the trial in absence of Belarusian opposition leaders.

The MEPs regard the charges against Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja, “who is widely considered to be the real winner of the 2020 presidential election,” and against Coordinating Council members as trumped up.

“Similarly, we are gravely concerned by the on-going, politically motivated trials of Sakharov Prize and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aleś Bialacki, who devoted his entire life to promoting democratic change in Belarus, of two members of his Viasna human rights center, Valancin Stefanovič and Uładzimir Łabkovič, and of journalist and activist of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut,” the statement reads.

The MEPs say they have no doubt that “these sham trials aim to instigate fear, silence independent voices and close all remaining space for a genuine political debate in Belarus.”

Citing Viasna, Olekas and Auštrevičius note that the number of political prisoners in Belarus is “unprecedented, nearing 1,500.” “It could be even much higher in reality, as many victims do not reach out to human rights defenders, for fear of further persecution,” they said.

They urged the European Union to step up support for “all the brave Belarusians who are fighting for a sovereign, peaceful and democratic Belarus, and to impose further sanctions on officials of Łukašenka’s illegitimate regime who commit or are complicit in human rights violations, notably so-called law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges.”

They also advocated “further sanctions on those regime officials who are responsible for Belarus’ involvement in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”