Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

Праваабарончы цэнтр «Вясна» беларускі хельсінкскі камітэт

EU calls Belarusian elections "a sham"

High Representative Kaya Kallas and the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Marta Kos made a statement on "the sham presidential election in Belarus." This is declared in a statement published on January 26 on the EU website.

"Today’s sham election in Belarus has been neither free, nor fair. The people of Belarus deserve a real say in who governs their country. The relentless and unprecedented repression of human rights, restrictions to political participation and access to independent media in Belarus, have deprived the electoral process of any legitimacy. We urge the regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, over a thousand of whom are arbitrarily detained, including an employee of the Delegation of the European Union," the statement said.

The document also assesses the late invitation of representatives of two European organizations to observe the elections*.

"The regime’s decision to invite the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe / Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights only 10 days before the elections, prevented this independent body from access to key stages of the election process. This is yet another proof of a total absence of credibility of these elections."

In connection with the elections*, as well as with the participation of "the Belarusian regime in Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and hybrid attacks against its neighbors," it was stated that the European Union would continue its actions against the Lukashenka regime.

"The EU will continue imposing restrictive and targeted measures against the regime, while financially supporting civil society, Belarusian democratic forces in exile, and Belarusian culture. Once Belarus embarks on a democratic transition, the EU is ready to support the country stabilise its economy and reform its institutions.," the statement says.

Kallas and Kos also stressed that "democracy requires free, fair and transparent elections, taking place in a society where human rights prevail, without restrictions to freedom of assembly or speech and in which a pluralist media can operate freely."

"This is not the case in Belarus. The EU is on the side of the Belarusian people and our support in their quest for a free, democratic, sovereign and independent Belarus, as part of a peaceful and prosperous Europe, is unwavering," the statement concluded.

"Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections"