Belarus has been ruled by Alexander Lukashenko since 1994 when he was elected as president for the first time. All elections since then have been described as neither free nor fair.
The latest elections took place on 9 August 2020 when he, "Europe’s last dictator", was elected again in fraudulent elections that were denounced by the EU. The demonstrations against the elections were suppressed with violence by the authorities and followed by several rounds of EU sanctions against the regime.
Despite the sanctions, the human rights situation in the country has deteriorated even more since then with the Belarusian regime becoming complicit in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. On the fourth anniversary of the elections, EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell issued a statement denouncing the regime for the suppression of its own people and support to Russia.
“The Lukashenko regime has responded with a massive campaign of violence and intimidation against its own people,” the statement says. There are around 1,400 political prisoners currently in detention. They represent only a fraction of the thousands of individuals who have been in and out of politically motivated detention since 2020.
“Lukashenko launched a total crackdown against the Belarusian civil society, human rights defenders, free media and journalists, political opponents, independent trade unionists, representatives of national minorities, and ultimately against all ordinary citizens expressing their views, both in and outside the country.”
At least six political prisoners lost their lives in detention, and many have been held incommunicado for more than a year. Some of the detainees have life threatening conditions and require urgent medical assistance.
Such treatment of prisoners and detainees is in violation of international law and Belarus’ own commitments. Borrell refers to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights who has stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the crime of persecution, which is a crime against humanity, may have been committed in Belarus.
In 2021, the regime also orchestrated migration pressure on the EU’s external borders. Thousands of migrants were lured by Belarus to embark on a dangerous journey to enter the EU in an irregular way across its border with Poland.
In addition to wide-scale domestic repression, the Belarusian regime has been complicit in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Among others, it has contributed to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children from the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia.
Earlier this week, the EU adopted additional sanctions against 28 individuals involved in human rights violations, politically motivated trials, and state propaganda activities. Altogether, 261 individuals and 37 entities and bodies are currently subject to EU individual restrictive measures. The EU also leads efforts to ensure accountability for those responsible for human rights violations.
According to media reports last year, Iran was planning to establish a facility in Belarus for the production of drones in support of Russia’s war against Ukraine. An EU spokesperson did not exclude that the member states would decide on new targeted measures if the reports on drone production in Belarus were confirmed.
Asked if that was the case, the Commission replied that such measures have not been announced. The sanctions are reviewed constantly, according to the spokesperson. They are discussed in confidentiality by the EU member states and a decision requires consensus.
“The EU remains united in its support to the brave people of Belarus, the Belarusian democratic movement, and civil society in their quest for a free, democratic, sovereign and independent Belarus as part of a peaceful Europe,” the statement concluded. “Once Belarus embarks on a democratic transition, the EU will provide support to stabilise its economy and reform its institutions.”
M. Apelblat
The Brussels Times
