European Parliament urges authorities in Belarus to cease mistreatment of Viktar Babaryka and other political prisoners

In a resolution adopted today, the European Parliament urges authorities in Belarus to cease the mistreatment of former presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka and other political prisoners and release them immediately and unconditionally. 

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) strongly condemn the “inhumane treatment of political prisoners and their family members” in the country and call on Belarus to ensure that those detained have access to proper medical assistance, lawyers, family, diplomats and international organisations to assess their condition and provide aid.

Viktar Babaryka was sentenced in July 2021 to 14 years in prison on politically motivated charges, and was hospitalised in April this year with traces of beatings leaving him in need of surgery. 

“As part of the repression of the political opposition and civil society, the Belarusian regime is keeping around 1,500 political prisoners in detention conditions amounting to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture, with some of them dying in detention, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,” say MEPs.

The text was adopted by 533 votes in favour, 9 against and 27 abstentions. For more details, it will be available in full here. 

“The EU has reacted firmly to the illegal actions of Lukashenko’s regime by imposing robust sanctions on Belarus, as a response to the violations of human rights and to its support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. And let me be clear: the deterioration of the situation will lead to further EU reactions,” European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders told the European Parliament on behalf of EU High-Representative Josep Borrell. 

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