The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Estonia: The farce organised by the dictator of Belarus is not election
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) does not recognise the so-called presidential elections held in Belarus on Sunday under the strict control of Lukashenka’s regime.
The Foreign Affairs Committee recalls the Statement of the Riigikogu of 25 August 2020, and declares that it does not recognise the sham elections, which took place under the strict control of the regime. It also calls on organising free and democratic presidential elections in Belarus at the first opportunity under the supervision of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organisations.
“The Foreign Affairs Committee calls on the international community to exert pressure on the Belarus regime to put an end to the repressions and to free the people imprisoned for expressing their views,” the Committee says in the Statement, adding that according to the Viasna Human Rights Centre, 1,256 political prisoners are currently illegally detained in Belarus because of their political views.
The Foreign Affairs Committee supports the statements of the European Parliament, the OSCE, and several national parliaments and governments of the European Union Member States that condemn the organisation of sham elections in an atmosphere of repression and intimidation, and in violation of all international legal provisions.
“The Foreign Affairs Committee expresses its support to the people of Belarus in their fight for a free, democratic, and dignified future, and calls on continuing active international cooperation on all levels to support democracy, civil society, and free press in Belarus,” the Committee says in the Statement.