Belarusian parliament members lose lawsuits against EU sanctions

May 29, BPN. The European Court of Justice has dismissed lawsuits by two Belarusian lawmakers who challenged their inclusion in the EU sanctions list over human rights violations.

The court dismissed the suits by Śviatłana Lubieckaja and Alaksandr Amieljaniuk last week as “unfounded” and ordered them to pay the litigation fees for the Council of the European Union.

The lawmakers claimed the entry bans and asset freezes were unfair and excessive.

The court said they were responsible for serious abuses of human rights, democracy and the rule of law as members of the lower house of parliament.

It said the sanctions were intended to force Belarusian leader Alaksandr Łukašenka to stop his oppressive policies.

The EU imposed the sanctions on Lubieckaja and Amieljaniuk in June 2021. They were involved in drafting and passing a new law that introduced harsher punishment for protesters.