European Parliament Adopted a New Resolution on the Situation in Belarus and the Murder of Raman Bandarenka
- 26.11.2020, 19:38
The European Parliament called on to investigate crimes against the Belarusian people.
MEPs voted on the adoption of the resolution, which concerns the situation in Belarus. Its draft was posted on the website of the European Parliament.
The draft document entitled "Resolution on the continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka" expresses condolences to the family of the deceased and those families who have lost loved ones "as a result of the repressions of Lukashenka's regime."
The resolution reiterates the EU's position on the non-recognition of the official voting results of 9 August 2020 and calls for new, fair, and free elections under the OSCE / ODIHR supervision. Among other things, the main provisions of the document also include:
- a demand to prompt, thorough, impartial, and independent investigations into Raman Bandarenka's death and the protest-related deaths of Aliaksandr Taraikouski, Aliaksandr Vikhor, Artsiom Parukou, Henadz Shutau, and Kanstantsin Shyshmakou;
- an appeal to the European Commission to increase assistance to independent media in our country, the preservation and operation of which is necessary for objective coverage of events in Belarus both for the domestic audience and the international community;
- a call for the EU to lend support to an international investigation of crimes perpetrated by the Lukashenka regime against the people of Belarus; believes that the investigation should be supported by the establishment of an evidence collection center and an EU taskforce of international law experts to assist in future international investigations; calls on the Commission, the Member States, and the EEAS to provide full support to the efforts of the UN Human Rights Council and the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, as well as human rights defenders and civil society, to ensure documentation and reporting of human rights violations and subsequent accountability and justice for victims;
- a highlight that actions taken so far by the EU and the Member States against the Lukashenka regime are insufficient and welcomes the Council's decision to work on the third package of sanctions aimed at firms and oligarchs with ties to the Lukashenka regime; a call for a credible enlargement of the EU sanctions list;
- a call for a complete freeze on all EU fund transfers, including loans from the European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others, to the current Belarusian Government and state-controlled projects; calls on the EEAS to suspend negotiations on the EU-Belarus Partnership Priorities until free and fair presidential elections have taken place;
The document also once again calls on the European Commission to take clear, effective, and timely restrictive measures - the so-called European analog of the Magnitsky Act, which will allow them to immediately direct it to any person, non-state entity, as well as other organizations responsible for serious human rights violations, abuse, and corruption.
613 MEPs voted for the resolution, 41 were against, 35 abstained.