"How can free and fair elections take place in such an environment in Belarus?" OSCE countries issued a statement
Ahead of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting on December 6, 37 participating states issued a statement on the elections in Belarus. It noted that they remain deeply concerned about the constantly deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus, Pozirk reported.
The statement once again called for the release of all political prisoners:
“We reiterate that the Belarusian authorities must ensure that all persons deprived of their liberty are treated with humanity and respect for their inherent dignity. Belarusian authorities have the responsibility to implement their OSCE commitments, including those under the 2020 Tirana Ministerial Council Decision on Prevention and Eradication of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.”
“While we recognize the pardons that have been granted since July 2024, we emphasize that the Belarusian authorities continue to arbitrarily detain many more citizens on political grounds than they have pardoned,” the authors noted.
The signatories recall that in 1990, in Copenhagen and Paris, OSCE participating states committed to democracy and political pluralism underlining that “the will of the people, freely and fairly expressed through periodic and genuine elections, is the basis of the authority and legitimacy of all government,” and reaffirmed these commitments in Istanbul in 1999.
“How can free and fair elections take place in such an environment in Belarus? Where there is no freedom of expression or media freedom? Where anyone who expresses a view counter to the authorities is branded 'extremist'? Where individuals who attempt to exercise their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association face a real threat of arrest and detention? In an environment with restrictions on political participation and de facto no form of political opposition allowed within the country?” the document says.
OSCE observers, as in previous election campaigns, have not been invited to the country.