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EU Parliament Condemns 'Sham' Belarusian Elections

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service, Rikard Jozwiak and Merhat Sharipzhan January 22, 2025

The European Parliament condemned Belarus's upcoming presidential election in a resolution that refers to the process as a "sham" while slamming the regime of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

European lawmakers voted on January 22 to overwhelmingly approve the resolution with 567 votes in favor, 25 against, and 66 abstentions. The vote comes four days ahead of a January 26 presidential election Lukashenka is set to easily win amid a lack of serious opponents.

The resolution paints a grim picture of the political environment in Belarus, where the 70-year-old Lukashenka has been in power since 1994. This weekend's vote is the first presidential election since balloting in 2020 triggered mass unrest after Lukashenka was declared the winner despite claims by the opposition and many Western governments that the vote was rigged.

The resolution "reiterates its non-recognition of the [2020] election of Alyaksandr Lukashenka to the post of President of Belarus; considers the current regime in Belarus to be illegitimate, illegal and criminal; reaffirms its unwavering support for the Belarusian people in their pursuit of democracy, freedom and human rights."

It also notes that over 1,250 political prisoners are being held in custody in Belarus, many of whom face torture, life-threatening conditions, and denial of medical care.

Lawmakers denounced "the lack of freedom, fairness, and transparency ahead of the so-called presidential elections in Belarus and calls for the EU, its member states, and the international community to categorically reject the upcoming elections in Belarus and the run-up campaign as a sham, as they do not meet minimum international standards for democratic elections."

Last week, the United States said the vote in Belarus cannot be free or fair because of a "repressive environment" where only regime-approved candidates can appear on the ballot and members of the opposition are either imprisoned or in exile.

Long considered a pariah by Western Europe, Lukashenka has overseen a brutal crackdown on dissent and civil society since the 2020 vote, prompting a wave of international sanctions that have strangled the country's economy.

In the run up to the vote, Lukashenka appears to be seeking to signal to the West that he is easing off on the persistent clampdown that the state has imposed since the 2020 election.

Still, the crackdown continues, with frequent arrests and trials on what activists say are politically motivated charges. At least 1,253 people whom rights groups consider political prisoners remain behind bars, and the real number is believed to be higher.

Lukashenka has roped Belarus closely to Russia and has provided support for Russia's war on neighboring Ukraine, including by allowing Russian forces to invade from Belarusian territory, and he says Russian nuclear weapons have been deployed in Belarus.

But over 30 years in power, he has often tried to capitalize on Belarus' position between Russia in the east and NATO and the European Union to the west and north.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-parliament- resolution-belarus-elections-repression-human -rights-lukashenka/33284901.html

Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.