European Parliament: EU should impose same sanctions on Belarus as on Russia 

On 26 November, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on respect for human rights in Belarus.

The European Parliament strongly condemned the unjustified and politically motivated sentences handed down to more than 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus, among others members of the so-called “Autukhovich twelve”.

The members of the European Parliament (MEPs) also denounced the ongoing incarceration of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ales Bialiatski and urged the regime of Belarusian dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka to ensure his release ahead of the award ceremony in Oslo on 10 December.

Parliament strongly condemned the Lukashenka government’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, saying that the Belarusian regime shares responsibility with Russia for war crimes in Ukraine, for which it should be held accountable before an international tribunal and the International Criminal Court.

In addition, MEPs reiterated their call on EU countries and the European Commission to strictly impose the same sanctions on Belarus that they have imposed on Russia. They also encourage EU institutions to support Belarusian independent news outlets such as ‘Nexta’ and call for more systematic cooperation between the EU and representatives of Belarusian democratic forces.

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Press release