The Renew Europe Group has strongly backed a resolution condemning the ongoing repression in Belarus and reaffirming its unwavering support for the country's democratic forces and political prisoners.
Five years after the fraudulent 2020 elections, over 1,200 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, facing torture, isolation, and deteriorating health conditions. The resolution demands their immediate and unconditional release and calls for continued EU support for these prisoners and their families.
MEP Helmut Brandstätter (NEOS, Austria), the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Belarus, emphasised the regime's complicity in regional aggression:
"Lukashenka is not a president; he is a henchman who has imprisoned the brightest and bravest Belarusians, forced hundreds of thousands into exile, and surrendered his country to Russia. He is responsible for crimes in Belarus and Ukraine for aiding the Russian war effort. Lukashenka belongs in the tribunal."
Helmut BrandstätterRenew Europe MEP, Austria, NEOS – Das Neue Österreich
The European Parliament reiterates that it does not recognise Aliaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimate president of Belarus. Instead, it reaffirms its support for the democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and calls for new, free and fair elections under international observation.
Renew Europe MEP Michał Kobosko (Polska 2050, Poland) said :
"Five years of prisons, damp cells, and longing for loved ones. Five years of trauma for Belarusians - and for Europe -, still watching Lukashenka's brutal regime". "The dictator evades sanctions with cynical ease—through intermediaries, via crypto. The resolution calls to tighten and expand them, closing every loophole. Sanctions are a tool, not a goal. The goal is people—over 1,200 political prisoners. No dialogue with Minsk until they are free. They deserve the democracy which Europe has. A free Belarus is a matter of conscience, not just of politics."
Michał KoboskoRenew Europe MEP, Poland, Polska 2050
We also reiterate our condemnation of the regime's role in Russia's war against Ukraine and call for stronger, more comprehensive sanctions against those responsible for sanctions evasion. We urge EU companies to cut ties with companies supporting the regime and call for investigations into human rights abuses and crimes against humanity.
Renew Europe stands firmly with the Belarusian people in their fight for democracy and will continue to support civil society, independent media, and all those working toward a free Belarus.