European Parliament adopted tougher stance on Belarus

The European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the expansion of sanctions against the Belarusian authorities and a number of the country’s economic sectors.

In the resolution, the European Parliament reiterates that the EU does not recognize the results of the 2020 presidential elections, criticizes repressions, including those against mass media and human rights defenders, and calls for an inclusive dialogue.

The European Parliament considers the illegal migration campaign organized by the Lukashenko regime a form of hybrid war, calls the hijacking and forced landing of the Ryanair aircraft an act of state terrorism, and disapproves of the agreements between Lukashenko and Putin on the preparation of integration road maps.

Members of the European Parliament call on the EU Council to urgently adopt the fifth sanctions package and start developing the next package. It was proposed to strengthen the existing sanctions, in particular those pertaining to the iron and steel industry, production and processing of wood, and chemical industry, as well as all state banks and key companies, and also to prohibit the import of products that are produced by prisoners in penitentiaries.

The European Parliament calls on the EU member states to recognize all KGB officers as personae non gratae in the EU and recall their ambassadors from Minsk for consultations. The European Parliament also calls on international organizations, including the IMF, to limit cooperation and issuing of funds to the Lukashenko regime.

Parliamentarians urge EU members to actively apply the principle of universal jurisdiction and prepare legal cases against Belarusian officials responsible for or involved in violence and repression, including Alexander Lukashenko. The European Parliament also “supports further discussions on the possible initiation of an international tribunal in the Hague for human rights violations in Belarus”.