Belarus: Speech by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell in the EP plenary on the situation of political prisoners

Subtitle: Speech delivered by Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell

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Madame President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

The situation of political prisoners in Belarus remains one of the greatest concerns of the European Union.

Since the fraudulent elections in 2020 the regime has arbitrarily detained thousands of people for choosing to freely exercise their political and civil rights.

More than four years later, the repression still persists. Not only political opponents, but any individual perceived as a potential threat became a target of the regime.

Some political prisoners were released in recent months and weeks. We share their joy and relief to be free and reunited with their families and loved ones.

However, there are still more than 1,300 political prisoners detained in Belarus. Many of them kept incommunicado for weeks, months, and even years.

Those mentioned by you, and others have no access to legal representation and medical care, and are submitted to ill-treatment or torture, often held in life-threatening conditions.

Many of them [including Sergei Tsikhanouski, Ihar Losik, Maria Kalesnikava, Mikalai Statkevich, Maksim Znak and Viktar Babaryka], who have been denied any possibility to communicate with the outside world for over 18 months.

The European Union urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately, and unconditionally, release all political prisoners.

The European Union stands in solidarity with political prisoners and their families. We also support families of political prisoners and work to ensure the rehabilitation of those who have been released.

We will also continue to support the work on accountability. We stand ready to continue to adopt restrictive measures against those responsible for human rights violations; judges, prosecutors, heads of penal colonies and members of the regime's security services.

I would like to assure you that the European Union has been and will continue leading the effort to support political prisoners and bring to justice those responsible for human rights violations.

We have the utmost respect and admiration for the people of Belarus and their exceptional courage and dignity. We use every opportunity to convey to the Belarusian people our support for their quest for a free, democratic, sovereign and independent Belarus as part of a peaceful and prosperous Europe.

Thank you.

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